Fairytale gone bad
by Eowyn-Faith
Summary: A different version of WICKED. Story starts after “Defying Gravity” in the Musical.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything. All credits for WICKED go to Gregory Maguire, Stephen Schwartz. I own the plot, the idea, nothing else.**

**Thanks to BelieveTheWarIsOver for betareading.**

**AN: ****A different version of WICKED. Story starts after "Defying Gravity" in the Musical. **

**FAIRYTALE GONE BAD**

**Chapter 1**

She had done it. She had defied gravity.

Right now Elphaba Thropp, the Wicked Witch of the West as everyone in OZ now called her, was flying over the Emerald City. She felt happy, excited. She didn't think about the consequences of her actions. Not now. There was time to think about them later.

Elphaba knew that there were consequences, but she wanted to feel, to cherish this powerful feeling of defiance for now. Back in the palace she had no other choice. There never was a choice for her.

She would never ever go against her beliefs and now she was an outcast, even more then before. Her green skin had made her stand out back in Shiz and back in her childhood. Now she was an outcast, the enemy of OZ for defying the wonderful wizard of OZ who wasn't so wonderful in her opinion.

It felt like she had been a child many years ago and not just only weeks ago. Today in the palace she had aged twenty years or more in one short day. It felt like she wasn't the young woman who had entered Shiz full of plans for her future. Now she was someone else. Someone she never wanted to be. She was now the Wicked Witch.

Shiz. Dear old Shiz. She couldn't return. Not to Shiz, not to her old life. She wouldn't be able to finish her education. Elphaba had to leave her friends behind without ever having the chance to say goodbye. She could never say goodbye. Maybe never see them alive again. They were now enemies, she and her friends.

Elphaba had left her last friend, Glinda, behind, back in the palace. What would happen to Glinda now? The Gale Force had gotten her back in the palace. She was captured, Elphaba was sure about it. Glinda would never work for the Wizard. Or maybe she would. Glinda was the most popular girl back in Shiz. She would do anything to become more popular. Maybe she would. But helping to enslave the Animals? Glinda would never. Or maybe she would. Elphaba wasn't sure anymore. Yes, she could picture Glinda doing those things. Helping Morrible and the Wizard.

And a feeling overcame her suddenly. Sadness hit her full force.

"I am sorry." She whispered into the silence of the western sky to no one in particular. No one except the moon and the stars were the witnesses of her heartfilled apology. No one else was there to give her the absolution she seeked.

And as she reached the forest she steered her broom down into a clearing. The broom was a reminder of tonight. It was the second thing she had bewitched. First it was the monkeys, then it was the broom. They were both now able to fly.

The clearing was a place she could stay, but only for a couple of minutes. Elphaba had to get as far away from the Emerald City as possible, and soon. The Gale Force would already be searching for her in the Emerald City.

She sat down on the green grass, taking deep calming breaths. There was no turning back now.

"Why? I thought I finally found a place where I belonged. Why did life have to be this cruel? I can never return to my family and the only friends I ever had. Fiyero and Glinda. She had made her choice and I have made mine. I hope one day she realizes her mistake. Our Wonderful Wizard is a dictator, mutilator of the monkeys. No. That had been my doing, my spell. But he had asked me to give Chistery the chance to fly. I couldn't have known the damage, the commotion I would cause. I am just a foolish girl," she said, voicing her thoughts.

She had to keep on moving. Elphaba couldn't stay in the clearing any longer. But where would she go? Home? There was an old saying: Home is where the heart is.

If it was true Elphaba had no home. The place where she grew up never felt like home.

Shiz? No. The first place the Gale Force would search for her was Shiz. She couldn't endanger the students.

But there was a place, somewhere, where she could stay for a couple of days and then she had to continue moving. She could never stay at one place for long.


	2. Chapter 2

For disclaimer and other stuff, see part 1.

**Chapter 2**

Fiyero had trouble sleeping. He was tossing and turning in his bed back at Shiz.

Unable to get back to sleep he got up and looked outside, up to the western sky.

Something was wrong. Two days had gone by since Elphaba and Glinda's departure to the Emerald City. He hoped that Elphaba had finally found the place where she belonged. He knew that she always wanted to belong somewhere. He longed for her to come back.

Ever since the incident with the lion cub his heart fluttered every time he thought about her, about his friend. He liked her. Loved her, even. Their relationship was a secret, no one knew about them being together. They wanted to tell Glinda after Glinda and Elphaba returned from the Emerald City.

He must have fallen back asleep because the next thing he knew was Boq running into his room and telling him something horrible.

"Last night there was an uproar in the Emerald Citiy. A witch tried to attack the Wizard."

"A witch? What about Elphaba and Glinda? Are they safe?"

"Glinda is."

"And Elphaba? What about her?"

"I am sorry. But the witch-" Boq stopped. He didn't know how he should tell Fiyero the truth about her. He still couldn't believe it either. "Elphaba is the witch. The Wicked Witch of the West." Boq continued.

Elphaba was the Wicked Witch. She was now the enemy of OZ. Fiyero couldn't believe what Boq had told him. His Elphaba. Never. He needed to talk to her. He needed her to tell him that everyone was lying, that she wasn't wicked. No. She couldn't be. Not his Elphaba. Never.

He needed to find her, to talk to her, to hold her and never let her go.

But where was she? Hiding somewhere. Once she had told him about a place by a lake, somewhere in Quadlingland. Yes. She could be there. Or not. She could be everywhere in OZ. Elphaba was now able to fly. She had defied gravity.

Fiyero knew that he would travel and search for her. He wouldn't rest, not until he had talked to her.

And the next night he went searching for her. Searching for the Wicked Witch. Everyone in OZ was out, looking for the enemy. But he, Fiyero, was the only one who loved her, who wanted to keep her safe and not hurt her. The witch-hunters wanted to capture her. Everyone believed Madame Morrible. She told the Ozians all the lies about Elphaba. He knew that they were lies but everyone else believed her, the wizards Press Secretary.

After he had traveled for two days Fiyero had arrived at an abandonded cabin somewhere in Quadlingland. Yes. That cabin looked the same as Elphaba had described him, her favourite place. But it still looked abandoned. Not that someone occupied it now or had in a long time. She wasn't here. He had to continue looking for her.

Defeated he sat down by the lake. Soon he would start searching for his love again.

"Yero." he heard a voice behind himself. Using the nickname Elphaba had given to him. She called him Yero when they were alone. And he called her Fae. His Fae.

But as he whirled he was alone. The voice had been a figment of his imagination.

"Fae, where are you?" he muttered.

What Fiyero didn't know was that Elphaba was in Quadlingland, hidden in the woods, observing her friend. She wasn't sure if she should reveal herself. She would only endanger her friend. Even when her mind was telling her to stay hidden she couldn't. She had to say goodbye.

"I am here." She said as she walked towards him.

Surprised at hearing her voice he stood up. Elphaba was really here, not only in his imagination. She was real.

And before she had a chance to say anymore Fiyero had already gathered her in his arms, embrancing her.

"Oh Fae. I couldn't believe when Boq told me what happend in the Emerald City. I couldn't believe that you are evil. Please, tell me that he was lying. Tell me that everything is all right. Please."

Elphaba sighed.

"It's true?"

"I am sorry Yero."

They sat down by the lake on a rock, staring at the water, both lost in their thoughts, not saying anything. Words weren't needed. They could communicate without words.

"A lot on your mind?" He finally broke the silence.

"Kind of. Just a lot of things that I can't talk about," she said looking up at Fiyero, "At least not yet."

He nodded, but Elphaba could see that he didn't understand. She turned to face him and forced him to look at her.

"It's nothing that would hurt what we had. Our relationship. It's stuff that involves me, my life. And the more people involved, the more danger that could be placed on those people. And I don't want to put you in any danger."

"Whatever it is, I'm going to be involved. You can't stop me, Fae, because I love you," Fiyero said placing a hand on her cheek.

Elphaba desperatly looked for a way to make him understand without scaring him away. She couldn't just tell him the truth. Or could she? Maybe he would understand.

"I guess it's time you know the truth." Elphaba started.

"Truth?"

"Yero, promise me, that you let me finish my story before you judge me or my actions."

"Sure."

"Promise me."

"I promise."

"You know what happened in the Emerald City. Just once, once I thought I have a place where I belonged. For one day I believed that I belong the Emerald City. Everything was green. No one cared that I was, too. Back in Shiz, I was the outcast, the green freak. I had only a few friends: you and Glinda and Boq. That's it. My father hated me because I am green. He hates me because I am responsible for my mother's death and Nessa sitting in the wheelchair. I wanted to be loved and accepted. But what they, Morrible and the Wizard, asked me to do… Yero, I couldn't. I couldn't do it. It is wrong. Animals have to be free, to be able to speak, not be enslaved. That's why I did it, that's why I defied the Wizard. I vowed back in the Emerald City to do anything to stop him and I will continue until one of us is dead."

Fiyero didn't know what he could or should say. He loved her for who she was. He loved the woman he met back in Shiz: the one who believed that Animals are equal.


	3. Chapter 3

For disclaimer and other stuff, see part 1 and thank you for the reviews to **danderson **and **TillItryIllneverknow**.

**Chapter 3**

Elphaba tried to get some rest, but sleep fled from behind her closed lids. All that lingered was a persistent, unsettled feeling that she simply couldn't shrug off.

She couldn't stay in bed. All her tossing and turning would wake Fiyero. He needed to sleep.

Yesterday they had sat outside together. They had talked. Really talked. Fiyero had accepted her choices. She knew that they, the Gale Force, Morrible and the Wizard, wouldn't stop until she was captured and killed. And anyone who was helping her would get hurt too. Elphaba had begged Fiyero to leave her, to stay safe.

Their earlier conversation played in her mind:

_"Please. Fiyero, promise me that you will leave me. You are going to die if you don't leave me. They won't stop until I am gone__ and they will hurt everyone I hold dear. I would go crazy if I know that you got hurt because of me, because we love eachother."_

_"I love you, and therefore it's my job to stick by your side. Don't argue with me, you can't win this one" Fiyero said determined. _

_He positioned himself so that he was facing her. He tipped her chin up so that she was looking him in the eyes._

_"I'm scared Fiyero," she admitted._

_He sighed and whispered, "I know you are Fae, but I'll be here with you through it, no matter what you decide to do."_

_Elphaba stayed there in his arms for a long time, letting his comforting embrace take hold of her._

Elphaba knew that she had to keep him safe. She would leave at sunrise while he was still sleeping. She wouldn't say goodbye. It would hurt too much.

Meanwhile Fiyero woke to an empty bed. He should have known that she would leave, that he would wake up and Elphaba would be gone. He didn't know that she was still outside.

"Oh Fae. Why did you leave me? I thought we would stay together." He muttered as he got out of bed.

They had spent the night together. Elphaba had wanted to memorize everything about Fiyero, the curve of his neck, the swell of his muscles, the feeling of his hair between her fingers, everything.

When he had taken her in his arms she had already known that it would be the last time. The last time they made love.

To say he was suprised as he walked outside and saw Elphaba standing there, bathed in the moonlight, would have been an understatment.

"Fae," he whispered.

He went up behind her to put his arms around her waist and his head on her shoulder, pressing his cheek to her.

"You are still here. For a moment I thought you were gone," he stated.

"I will be soon," she whispered, unable to look at him.

"No, stay with me. We'll go into hiding, together. Nothing and no one can tear us apart."

"I wish it would be that easy. But I can't let you get hurt."

"I won't," he answered.

She suddenly turned so that they were facing eachother and, before she could think, move, or breathe, he wrapped his arms around her neck, pulled her close to him, and captured her lips in a long, passionate, sizzling kiss.

Elphaba didn't hesitate to meet the tidal wave of raw need and passion that Fiyero's kiss was igniting in her. Their tongues dueled as the kiss grew more intense. When the need for oxygen finally forced them apart, Fiyero drew back just enough to take Elphaba's head in his hands gently. Her eyes were still closed and Fiyero tilted his head down to place light kisses on first one eyelid, then the other.

When he lifted his head again, she opened her eyes, and all he could see there was love and desire, the same love and desire he felt.

He gently stroked her cheeks with his thumbs.

"I will love you, forever. I will. I will never forget the woman I love with heart and soul. I will never forget you and the love I feel for you. I love you, forever. And no one else." He promised her.

They stayed like this for a couple more minutes. Then they had to let go.

"I have to go," she stated.

"Will we see eachother again?"

Elphaba couldn't answer. She knew that now was the moment to say goodbye, forever.

She picked up her broom and before she mounted it to fly up to the western sky she looked back for one last time.

Maybe they would see eachother again. If not. They would always be able to remember the time they had spent together.


	4. Chapter 4

For disclaimer and other stuff, see part 1 and thank you for the review to **TillItryIllneverknow**.

**Chapter 4 ****– Years later**

Life wasn't a fairytale as far as Elphaba was concerned.

Yes, life for the Ozian's would have a fairytale-ending with the witch being dead. The good girl would win. There was no other way. All the fairytales she had listened to as a little girl always ended with the witch having to die and she was the Witch, the Wicked Witch of the West. She had to die.

And there wasn't even anything left for her to live for. No one would mourn her. No one would mourn the Witch.

Nessa was dead, crushed by a flying house. Fiyero engaged to Glinda, about to get married. Her daughter was taken away from her, probably dead, too.

Her daughter, Tanith Melena, was named after the Goddess of moon and stars, as well as her grandmother, Elphaba's beloved mother who had died giving birth to Nessarose. She was the child who was conceived years ago during the last night she had spent together with Fiyero. Tanith was his daughter, too.

The Gale Force had taken Tanith away from her. A while ago there had been a raid in the forest, where she was hidden. Just once Elphaba hadn't been careful. Just once had been enough to take her child away from her, forever.

Elphaba had set little Tanith by the lake, playing at the water's edge. She couldn't and hadn't anticipated the danger lurking nearby when she had walked back to the cabin to get something she had forgotten. She had done it many times before. It had been a ten-minutes-walk. She had been gone for nearly half an hour, maybe less. No one had entered the forest in the last couple of months. It had been a year since she had even seen an Animal.

Elphaba didn't know why she hadn't taken Tanith back with her that day. If she had, her child would still be with her and still be alive.

Sometimes she had indulged in the luxury to be only a mother. During those moments she could forget about the danger, the people hunting her. Tanith had been such a happy child, dark curls, blue eyes. She was the spitting image of her mother except for the skin and the eyes. Tanith wasn't green, thank Oz.

But no, remembering her child would only hurt more. It was already very painful. Her child, her Tanith had been captured and hurt because of who she was, because she was the child of the Wicked. She was the daughter of the enemy of Oz.

Elphaba would never get her fairytale-ending.

But someone got her happily-ever-after. Back in the Emerald City Glinda, formerly known as Galinda, was truly happy. She was to get married to Fiyero.

Madame Morrible had announced that Glinda the Good and the Captain of the Gale-Force were engaged.

Glinda had always known that she would end up getting married to Fiyero. Back in Shiz, after their first dance at the Ozdust, she had told Elphaba about her future plans. She had told Elphaba about getting married and becoming Queen of the Vinkus.

Elphaba: her friend. They had been best friends until the day when Elphaba had defied the Wizard. They hadn't seen each other since. But she, Glinda, still had Fiyero. Elphaba, no one ever called her that anymore, she was only known as the Wicked Witch of the west, was truly alone.


	5. Chapter 5

For disclaimer and other stuff, see part 1 and thank you for the reviews to **TillItryIllneverknow, Lydia Monroe **and **XxXxIcePrincessXxXx**.

**Chapter 5**

Glinda was busy preparing for her wedding. She wanted to be the crown princess of the Vinkus, Fiyero's wife, as soon as possible and now there were just a few more days to go.

"You know, Elphie would have wanted to wear black. Can you believe that, a bridesmaid wearing black? Not to my wedding. It means bad luck for the marriage if someone wears either black or white, other then bride and groom," she told Fiyero out of the blue.

They hadn't spoken about Elphaba in quit a while. Sometimes it was as if she had never existed before she became the Wicked Witch.

"She is your best friend, you would have let her wear whatever color she wanted, black, dark blue or purple."

"But she won't be here. Elphie will never be my bridesmaid."

"She could have. She could be your bridesmaid, honorous bridesmaid, Glinda." Fiyero argued with her.

"Fiyero, I have an image to uphold. Glinda the Good can't have the Wicked Witch of the West be her bridesmaid, honorous or not."

"She isn't wicked."

"Fiyero, darling, she is our enemy! You remember what I told you about her, about the day when she had gone against the Wizard, our wonderful Wizard of Oz. She isn't the person we had known back at Shiz anymore. Remember the people she had killed or the monkeys, the poor monkeys that she mutilated."

Glinda now believed all the lies about Elphaba, too. It was as if she had forgotten the truth. As if she had forgotten that the Wizard and Madame Morrible were the evil ones and Elphaba only a victim of their lies and her own beliefs.

"I still miss her." He stated.

"Yes, I miss her too. The old Elphaba, before she went completely mad."

Sometimes Fiyero wondered what had happend to the Glinda he had once known back at Shiz. Fiyero had never forgotten the woman he had once fallen in love with. Elphaba had been his first love. He had given her his heart. Part of him had still feelings for her, even though he hadn't seen her in three years.

But Glinda was another story. She believed the lies Madame Morrible had made up about Elphaba. Glinda now thought that Elphaba had been slowly going mad and had been jealous that Glinda was asked to meet the Wizard. She had forgotten that part of the story was the other way around, that Elphaba had been invited to meet the Wizard and had asked her, Glinda, to come along.

"Shen-Shen and Pfannee are my bridesmaids and they are going to wear peach. It will look lovely with my wedding-dress and the decorations. Please, can you make sure that the church is decorated in peach and white?" Glinda changed the topic.

Fiyero knew that he couldn't talk with Glinda about their former best friend.

Elphaba.

She was the reason he was together with Glinda now. She was the reason he was engaged. After she had left him in Quaddlingland Fiyero had returned to Shiz. He had spent a while moping around, missing his love. He hadn't heard anything from her, no letter, nothing.

For the first four or five months after Elphaba had defied the Wizard he could read about all the wrong-doings of the Wicked Witch in the newspaper but then there was no news for nearly a year.

After two months of no news about her Fiyero had believed Elphaba to be dead, captured and killed by the Gale Force. Later Fiyero had learned that she was still alive. But it was too late for him. He was already Glinda's boyfriend and everyone anticipated that they would get married one day. Over the months Fiyero had learned to store to memory of Elphaba, his first love, into a part of his heart and mind. He learned to forget about her.

Remembering the wonderful times he had spent with Elphaba was too painful. But still sometimes he remembered. Like right now.

_Elphaba__ sat alone by the fire in the libary, reading a book. It was early in the morning, not quite time for breakfast, but Elphaba liked to get up early to have some time alone. _

_Fiyero__ walked up to where she was sitting and took a seat beside her. She didn't acknowledge her surroundings until he talked to her._

_"Morning Fae-Fae" he used one of his favorite nicknames for her. _

_Startled she looked up._

_"Fiyero."_

_Elphaba__ was always reading, she spent most of her free time surronded by books, never talked much with anyone. This year she was a different person than she had been the year before. Fiyero had tried to talk to her, make her open up to him but she never did. But he wanted to give it one last try. _

"_Come away with me" he suddenly said in his rough voice, stood up and held his hand out towards her._

"_Where to?"_

"_Somewhere, everywhere, just follow me," he answered smiling._

"_Always and forever." _

_With that she took his hand and followed him outside._

There had been a time when he hadn't known if he would see her again. But thinking about her, thinking of the memories of better days, had made him survive. They made him go on.

And somewhere else, someone was cherishing the memories of her time with her lover too.

Elphaba Thropp, the Wicked Witch of the West, sat in her little cabin in Quaddlingland. She had returned there two days ago. She wanted to relive her past one last time and be able to say goodbye in peace. She had already planned how she would end her life.

The wedding of Glinda the Good and Prince Fiyero was in three days from now. Elphaba would attend the "happy" event too. She would interrupt the wedding and part of her wedding-present would be her turning herself in.

Elphaba was tired. She tired of living her life as the Wicked Witch. She wanted to be reunited with her daughter again.

Shortly after Tanith's disappearance, after she had been captured and probably killed the same day, Elphaba had gone completly mad. She had gone on a killing-spree and attacked a camp of members of the Gale-Force. Twelve people dead, twenty injured.

Part of her regretted taking their lives, lives of innocent people she never knew. But they, the Gale Force, had taken the life of an innocent child, her child.


	6. Chapter 6

For disclaimer and other stuff, see part 1 and thank you for the review to **XxXxIcePrincessXxXx**.

**Chapter 6**

Even though Glinda had been a bit upset with Fiyero for changing the decoration of the church, everything was now peach and green instead of peach and white, the wedding was now in full swing.

The opening of the doors of the St. Aelphaba Cathedral in the Emerald City had indicated that everything and everyone was ready. It had been Fiyero's idea to get married in this church, not Glinda's. He wanted to have a reminder of Elphaba at his wedding-day. Even when she couldn't attend the wedding in person, he wanted to remember that she was there, even in his mind only. Getting married in a church namend after a saint, a saint that carried the same name as Elphaba, gave him the feeling that she was part of the wedding too.

Madame Morrible was the first to make her appearance. She was led down the aisle by the Wizard himself. Then her and his parents walked down the aisle, both sets of parents wanting to be there for the wedding of their children, both wanting to be the witness of the happiest event of Glinda's and Fiyero's life.

Everything was perfect, except that Elphaba wasn't standing in front of the altar with them, neither as a bridesmaid nor as a bride.

After their parents had sat down the bridesmaides Shen-Shen and Pfanee walked down the aisle. They took their place in front of the altar when the music from the quartet suddenly changed and the bridal march began.

All Fiyero could see was a vision of white as Glinda stepped into the aisle. Elphaba would have said that Glinda looked like an enormous ball of fluff. His breath was taken away, because with her veil down, and her dress, she looked like a princess, his princess.

He couldn't take his eyes off her and as she took her place next to him he mouthed, "You are beautiful."

"My friends, we are gathered here today to witness the wedding of Glinda the Good, born as Galinda Upland of the Upper Uplands and Captain Fiyero Tiggular, crown prince of the Vinkus. Marriage is not to be undertaken lightly but reverently and seriously, with the intention of making it last a lifetime. Now, witnessed by Lurline, we are gathered here together to join this man and this woman who have professed their love and their stated intention to remain together through their lifetime on this planet. Love is patient and kind, it is not jealous or conceited or proud. Love is not ill-mannered, selfish or irritable. Love does not keep a record of wrongs. Love is not happy with evil, but is happy with the truth. Love never gives up. Its faith, hope and patience never fail."

Then it was Glinda's turn to say her wedding vows. Being a romantic at heart she had written her own vows. "My darling Fiyero. I love loving you. Loving you means many things to me. It means knowing I have someone to rely on, confide in and trust. It means knowing I have someone who will share my laughter, my thoughts and even disappointments. But mostly it means that I always have something to be happy about. Because as long as we are together, the world looks wonderful to me. Forsaking all others, I freely give of myself to you to have and to hold, from this day onward to eternity."

"I hope you are happy now", a voice interrupted the ceremony. A voice everyone knew, the voice of the Witch.

"Elphie?" Glinda turned around, looking for the source of the voice.

And then she appearead.

Elphaba had been hiding in the church, on her broom. Now she flew on her broom towards the happy couple.

It happend very fast and suddenly, members of the Gale Force appeared next to Fiyero and Glinda, surrounding them.

Yes, they were at the wedding. Madame Morrible had anticipated that the Witch could and maybe even would appear at the wedding. Afterall the three of them, Glinda, Fiyero and Elphaba, had been friends back at Shiz.

"What are you doing here?" Glinda asked.

"Giving my best regards to the happy couple. Or did I interrupt your ceremony? You haven't gotten your wish? Oh, I should have waited a moment. I am sorry." she said, sarcasm dripping from her voice.

Elphaba knew full well that she had interrupted the ceremony before both had said "I do". They weren't married yet.

"Come down, witch!" one member of the Gale Force bravely said, holding a gun, pointing towards Elphaba's head.

"I will. Afterall that's what I came here for. First to wish my friends a long and happy marriage. You two deserve each other!" Elphaba cackled. "And I am here to turn myself in!"

"No!" was the first word Fiyero spoke since his former love had appeared.

"Fiyero, darling, she is out of her mind. She had gone crazy. Maybe it is for the best," Glinda said soothingly.

"Glinda, she is our friend."

"She had betrayed the Wizard. She had betrayed OZ!"

It wasn't that Fiyero suddenly stopped loving Glinda. It wasn't that he never stopped loving Elphaba. But right now he didn't know anymore who he loved more: Elphaba or Glinda?

He and Elphaba, his Fae, had been together in secret, back at Shiz, and had last seen each other shortly after she had defied the wizard in Quaddlingland.

He and Glinda were together since then. Not as lover at first, only as friends. They had both lost someone: Elphaba, years ago. They had cried in each other's arms. Yes, even he had shed tears for his friend, his love. They had relied on each other and, over the years, their feelings for each other grew. But right now, being confronted with his first love, Fiyero was unsure. Which woman did he truly love?

Meanwhile, Elphaba steered her broom towards the ground, ready to turn herself in. There wasn't anything left for her. She wanted to be together with her daughter again. She wanted to be dead. She hoped that her death by the hands of the Gale Force would be quick and painless, but she was sure Morrible would make sure that she would suffer.

On the other hand, she was already suffering since her daughter was gone. She had no tears left to cry anymore. She wasn't able to feel any more pain than she already felt. There was no greater pain than loosing a child. A child that never knew her father.

She had no reason to ever tell Fiyero about his daughter. She would take it with her to the grave. She was the only one who would ever know the true identity of Tanith's father.


	7. Chapter 7

For disclaimer and other stuff, see part 1 and thank you for the reviews to **XxXxIcePrincessXxXx, Rosie85** and **TillItryIllneverknow**.

**Chapter 7**

Elphaba was now held captive in Southstairs. She didn't know how long she had been there, she had lost track of time a while ago and it didn't help that she was chained to a wall, standing upright.

It wasn't how she had planned it. She had hoped to be executed. She had nothing left to live for and being a prisoner only prolonged her suffering. She should have commited suicide. Yes, suicide would have been a solution but no, she had to travel to the Emerald City and turn herself in, hoping to be executed.

Before she could think about her wish to die some more, Glinda appeared.

Fiyero had postponed the wedding. He had told Glinda that first the matter with the Witch should be settled and then they should give the Ozians something to celebrate. They should have something to look forward too.

First the trial, if it was ever going to happen, and then the wedding of Glinda the Good.

Glinda had agreed with him.

"Oh Elphie."

"What? You came to stare at the enemy? Do you want to see what real madness looks like?"

"I wanted to see for myself if somewhere deep inside the Witch my best friend still existes," Glinda answered.

But she didn't know for sure why she had come down to Southstairs. Seeing Elphaba like this, her dress torn, caked blood on the visible parts of her body where she had been whipped repeatly, her hair in disarray hurt. Glinda had to fight back tears that were already gathering in her eyes.

"Why Elphie? Tell me why did you kill all those people? Why did you turn your back on your friends and become wicked?"

"Because I could!"

But it wasn't true. Not really. Elphaba had killed them in cold blood but the disappearance of her daughter had been enough to send her over the edge. Tanith's disappearance had been the reason to go on a killing spree.

"You will be killed," Glinda stated.

"I hope soon."

Smiling sadly Glinda shook her head. She couldn't save her friend. There wasn't even anything left of her friend. In place of Elphaba was now a cruel woman, the Wicked Witch of the West.

"I will be back, Elphie," Glinda said before she left.

Elphaba wanted them to stop caring. She wanted her friends to hate her because if they didn't her execution would hurt them. It's seemed that part of Glinda still cared for her. But there had been a time, before they had been friends, that Glinda hated, even loathed her and if she would ever find out about Elphaba and Fiyero being an item back at Shiz, she would hate her more.

Even when she was dead Glinda would remember her former best friend.

"_I am going to marry Fiyero one day," Glinda stated._

_Elphaba looked at her. She knew that what she had with Fiyero now wasn't meant for eternity. Sure, they were happy together, Elphaba never had felt like that before, but he would and could never marry the green freak. They would be together for a while longer and then he would leave her. Everything good that happend in her life always came to an end and her relationsthip with Fiyero was by far the best that ever happend to her._

_Elphaba smiled as she remembered his words from last night, before she had gone back to her dorm: You can let your guard down with me – I will always be there to catch you._

_Whatever he meant by his words, Elphaba could only guess. But right now she had other things on her mind too. The Wonderful Wizard of OZ had invited her, Elphaba Thropp, the green freak of Shiz, into the Emerald City._

It had went downhill from there.

Since then she had hurt a lot of people. Some had been hurt by her actions or because of who she was, like her father, Nessa, Fiyero, Glinda and Tanith – just to name a few.

Maybe she should never have been born or drowned after birth.

Sometimes the pain was so intense that she wanted nothing more then to scream from the rooftop. Screaming her pain out in the open.

"Everything alright?" a man's voice shook her out of her reverie.

Fiyero had arrived as Southstairs at last. It seemed that her old friends were taking turns in staring at the Wicked One. Who would be the next to come and visit? Boq? Shen-Shen? Pfanee?

"I have never been better," Elphaba answered, sarcsam dripping from her voice as she turned around to look at him.

Fiyero could see that Elphaba had had another flashback. He remembered that she had a lot of them when they had grown closer together back at Shiz. During moments like this he wanted nothing more than to take her in his arms and make her forget all the pain she had suffered in her life. Back then they had talked a lot, mostly about the visible scars but never about the one he couldnt see.

"It is ok to be afraid. That makes you human," Fiyero told her.

"I am not human, I have no soul."

In a moment of weakness she had needed him. She had needed someone to protect her of all her bad feelings and the emotions rushing down on her. Part of her had wished, longed, for him to be there. But now Elphaba vowed to herself never to rely on someone.

And then the guards appeared again, wanting take her for another round of torture.


	8. Chapter 8

For disclaimer and other stuff, see part 1 and thank you for the reviews to **XxXxIcePrincessXxXx, Rosie85** and **TillItryIllneverknow**.

**Chapter 8**

Being the Captain of the Gale Force, Fiyero had overseen the sessions of torture Elphaba had to endure.

Morrible had ordered them to show no mercy towards the Witch. The Gale Force officers could do whatever they wanted as long as they made sure Elphaba would still be alive afterwards.

The first time they had Elphaba whipped until she was bleeding. The members of the Gale Force wanted to see for themself if green blood was running through her veins.

Later they had whipped her for the fun of it and done other unmentionable things.

Sometimes Elphaba refused to scream and they would torture her until she would or until she would beg for mercy, which she had done twice. Fiyero knew only about one time. He was about to step in, not being able to see her being tortured like that, when she had uttered her plea to them, begging them to stop their wrong-doings towards her.

It seemed that Morrible wanted to oversee today's session of torture too, as she was already in the torture-chamber, waiting with a sickly smile as they chained Elphaba to the wall.

"My, my, Elphaba, look at yourself. You look nothing like the defiant girl anymore. You have always been a weakling and now your future is mine to decide," Morrible said in a taunting voice.

"Kill me already. I have nothing left to live for."

"Not even your best friend Glinda the Good or her handsome fiancé?"

"They have each other and don't need me," Elphaba spat.

"And your precious little girl?"

"She is dead. Killed by the Wizard's soldiers! Tell me why should I, the most evil person in OZ, should live when an innocent child, my daughter, was killed in cold blood, without a second thought?"

Fiyero tried to hide his surprise. Elphaba had a daughter! He never knew. She hadn't been pregnant when they had seen each other in Quaddlingland. But maybe she had conceived then, during their last night. Or maybe someone else had fathered Elphaba's daughter. Fiyero had always imagined that Elphaba would stay faithful towards him even when he hadn't been.

"Are you sure that she is dead? Do you have any proof?"

"I swear, by the unnamed God, leave my Tanith out of this! Kill me already or I will make sure that when I die I will take you with me to hell!"

"Then you will never know where your child is hidden," Morrible said with an evil glint in her eyes.

The room was silent. You could have heard a pin drop. Elphaba had to comprehend what Morrible had said.

"Tanith is alive? I have seen the blood! There was so much blood for a little girl!"

"She put up a fight, even for a two year old she tried to hold her own. Normally I would have ordered them to kill anyone associated to the Wicked Witch of the West."

"How did you know that she is mine?"

"I just knew when I saw her that she is your daughter. But maybe you should see for yourself. Oh yes, the next time I come for a visit I will bring your little girl with me!" Morrible laugend.

"No! Please, I beg of you, don't let her see me like this!"

It was too much for Elphaba to comprehend. The child she had thought she had lost to death forever was still alive.

Morrible had her daughter hidden somewhere, somewhere Elphaba hadn't thought she could be. No, she hadn't searched for her child, believing her to be dead and now Morrible had told her that her little girl was alive and well.

As much as she longed to see her and hold her in her arms again, Tanith should and could never see her like this. It would give her nightmares, if she didn't have them already.

"Fiyero, please, my daughter can't see me like this, please you have to make sure that she will never witness them torturing me. Please, I beg of you my friend," she said looking directly at Fiyero.

But there wasn't anything he could say or do now. Maybe later he could try talking to Elphaba.

"Silence witch," he said.

A couple of hours after Elphaba had been brought back to her cell Fiyero went to see her again. He could hear her screaming for and cursing at Morrible from afar.

"Morrible, I swear by the unnamed God, if you hurt my daughter I will come back from the dead to haunt you! Hurt Tanith and I will kill you! Morrible, come back I neeed to talk to you. Please, don't let my child see me like this!"

If Elphaba continued screaming like that, she would be hoarse in a couple of hours.


	9. Chapter 9

For disclaimer and other stuff, see part 1 and thank you for the reviews to **XxXxIcePrincessXxXx** and **TillItryIllneverknow**.

**Chapter ****9**

Fiyero stood outside the cell Elphaba was held captive in for what seemed like forever. It seemed that in her frantic screaming Elphaba hadn't realizing that her friend and former lover stood on the other side of the bars, observing her in silence

Fiyero took his time to study the woman who had been his first real love. She had changed dramaticly and it was not only the bruises, swellings and gashes marring her green skin. He remembered a time when he got lost starring at her.

_Spending some alone time together was rare these days. Since Elphaba decided that she would visit the Wizard, her blonde best friend had dragged her shopping, looking for the right outfit for Elphaba. Not that she would wear anything other then her black frock, something she felt comfortable wearing. Elphaba endured those times in silence._

_Elphaba laid on her back, Fiyero propped up on an elbow, his other arm around her waist__, fingers running up and down her side in a featherlike way. Holding her in his arms made his life complete._

_Elphaba was his whole world. He needed her like he needed air to breath._

_Her gaze followed his hand as __it slipped upwards to caress her cheek. _

_Only a hint of hesita__tion was left in him now and it was slowly fading away as their gazes met. She smiled that slow, beautiful smile that was reserved for times behind closed doors that made him feel weakness all over, and their lips met halfway._

"What are you doing here?" her voice brought him out of his memories, happy memories of a time they had no care in the world.

"I wanted to talk to you about what Madame Morrible had said to you about your daughter," Fiyero answered.

"We have nothing to talk about!" Elphaba said, putting heavy emphasise on the word WE.

"You wanted my help, begged for my help, back then. Tell me."

"There is nothing to tell you. I never thought that Morrible would stoop so low as to let Tanith watch them torture me."

"She hasn't seen you yet and I will make sure it will never happen."

Suddenly on impulse he opened the cell-door and walked inside. Elphaba was chained to wall, forced to stand upright. She even had to sleep standing.

Fiyero walked up to her and brushed some strand of hair out of her face, as he had done in the past but this time Elphaba flinched as he touched her.

"Don't touch me," she hissed.

"I am sorry."

"You are sorry? Sorry for the whippings I had to endure? Sorry for letting me rot in the cell? Sorry that they haven't killed me already? Sorry for becoming engaged to Glinda?" Elphaba's voice rose an octave.

"For everything."

They looked at each other in silence.

Both were lost in thoughts, thinking about their past and the famous 'what-if', especially Fiyero. More often than not, he would lay awake at night asking himself how his life would have turned out if he would have gone into hiding with Elphaba.

He had always dreamt of some kind of fairytale.

_Fiyero was playing with his children outside of Kiamo Ko. They – Elphaba, their children Nessa, Melena and Liir and himself – had lived there since he had talked Elphaba into going into hiding with him, after she had defied the Wizard. No one knew that the person everyone called The Wicked Witch of the West lived her happily-ever-after, safe in the Vinkus. Fiyero's parents had welcomed both with open arms._

But life wasn't a fairytale. Not for Elphaba and Fiyero. They could and would never have their happily-ever-after.

Fiyero knew how the story of the Wicked Witch of the West would end.

She would be burned on the stakes. Maybe Morrible would take Elphaba's daughter to the execution, letting her watch her mother being burned. Then Morrible would use the girl as her pawn, raising her the way she saw fit. Fiyero was sure that the girl, he remembered Elphaba had called her Tanith, had inherited her mother's talent.

Fiyero made a silent vow to himself to do anything to keep that from happening.


	10. Chapter 10

For disclaimer and other stuff, see part 1 and thank you for the reviews to **XxXxIcePrincessXxXx, Rosie85** and **TillItryIllneverknow**.

**Chapter 10**

That night Fiyero couldn't sleep. He had to make a plan to help Elphaba, maybe even save her.

He didn't want them to kill her and he couldn't stand to watch her suffer at the hands of the Gale Forcers anymore. She had been held captive for two weeks. No one could endure torture for this long but Elphaba was strong.

Maybe since she knew that Tanith was still alive she had gotten part of her will to live back.

Fiyero could kidnap Elphaba and hide her at Kiamo Ko as he had planned years ago, before she had made up her mind and left him in Quaddlingland.

And he would save Tanith for her. Somehow he would find out where Morrible was hiding the girl and then he could formulate a plan and take both with him away.

Fiyero could finally have the life with Elphaba he had always dreamt about.

But what would she – his fiancé – say?

Fiyero didn't know. Part of him wasn't even unsure if it would be the right thing to do; kidnapping Elphaba and Tanith.

He was engaged to Glinda, about to get married to her. If Elphaba hadn't appeared at the wedding, he would be a married man by now.

Stifling a sigh he got up. There was no use in lying awake.

Fiyero wanted to see her – Elphaba – again. There were still a lot of things unsaid between the two, but he couldn't very well appear at Southstairs by night.

He went into his office, a room seldom used, but he had stored his memories in this place. His memories were stord in a box. It was a box filled with things he had grown fond of.; a pressed flower, the one Elphaba had worn the day the two of them had saved the caged baby-lion. A drawing he had done of Elphaba.

Every time he remembered the day he had drawn it, a smile broke out on his face.

"_Sit still," he adomished while trying to draw her._

"_I am sitting still."_

"_You aren't." Sighing he placed the drawing pad down and walked over to the bed she was sitting on._

_Fiyero had asked her if she would allow him to draw her in a more private setting. Elphaba had agreed even after she had known how he wanted to draw her, wearing nothing but a sheet. _

_And now she was sitting on his bed, wrapped in only a sheet, her hair hanging loose and a pink flower tucked in her hair._

_Fiyero brushed a strand of hair out of her eyes._

"_Don't move or we will be sitting here for a long time," he told her before he continued. "But on other hand move as often as you want. Having you here, sitting like this, I shouldn't complain."_

Yes, the memories of the past were happy memories.

If he had known what would happen to Elphaba, he would have never let her go. Not to the Emerald City, not at Quaddlingland. He would have fought with her. He would have tried to keep her with him forever.

But he didn't go into his office to relive memories of the past. He wanted to think about and plan the future, a future with either Elphaba or Glinda.

Fiyero had commited himself to Glinda when they became engaged. He couldn't very well run off with Elphaba.

Maybe only knowing that Elphaba was somewhere safe would be enough? Or maybe not.

There was still the problem of how to get Elphaba out of Southstairs and how could he find Tanith for her. Morrible had probably made sure that no one would find the girl. Or maybe she was already dead and she had only told Elphaba a lie.

But he believed Morrible. He believed the girl still lived. Elphaba believed her too.

Tomorrow he would go to Southstairs and try to talk to Elphaba again. He needed to know if Tanith was his daughter. If she was his daughter, maybe he could ask Glinda for help in convincing Morrible to let him and Glinda raise Tanith. This way he could make sure that Tanith was safe and maybe find some way to hide her some day.


	11. Chapter 11

For disclaimer and other stuff, see part 1 and thank you for the reviews to **XxXxIcePrincessXxXx **and **TillItryIllneverknow**.

_I am still trying to figure out how to end the fanfic. Should there be a happily-ever-after for Fiyero and Elphaba or should he stay with Glinda? I am open for suggestions. Review my fanfic and tell me what you want to read in the end, who should get the prince in the end?_

**Chapter ****11**

Fiyero had fallen asleep in his office, sitting upright in a very uncomfortable chair. At least, that was how Glinda found him later.

"Fiyero, darling, wake up." She shook him gently awake.

Glinda had been worried when she had woken up and Fiyero hadn't been lying next to her. She had searched for him and was relived when she had found her fiancé sitting upright in a chair, asleep, in his office.

"Glinda? Where am I?" a very surprised Fiyero asked at her.

"In your office," Glinda explained. "Fiyero, did you spent all night long here?"

Fiyero only nodded. He had relived his past with Elphaba while sitting here. He must have fallen asleep.

"The problem with her is bothering you," Glinda said.

"Her?"

"The Witch. Elphaba. Call her whatever you want." Glinda said.

Fiyero just shook his head in disbelief. It seemed that he was the only one who still remembered who the Witch really was: Elphaba Thropp, the best friend of Galinda Upland now known as Glinda the Good.

"Your best friend." Fiyero said.

"No. She can't be. Not anymore. Someone as evil as her can't be my friend. Never," Glinda protested.

"Glinda, listen to me. She isn't evil. Remember what had happened years ago. You told me that the Wizard asked Elphaba to do things she never wanted to do. He was the one responsible for what happened to the Animals and the silence throughout Oz. She could never work for the Wizard. It was against her beliefs. She had no choice. Remember. Please Glinda. For me."

"You are out of your mind. She must have bewitched you somehow. You are under her spell. I am going to talk to Madame Morrible now. She must find a way to help you see the truth again," Glinda stated. She was about to leave the room when Fiyero grabbed her wrist.

"No."

If Glinda now went to Morrible Fiyero couldn't plan Elphaba's rescue. He would never have the chance to save her and the child.

Maybe even Morrible would realize that he, the Captain of the Gale Force, had feelings for the Wicked Witch. If she found out, she would most likely throw him in Southstairs with Elphaba. Sure, then they would be together again but he wouldn't be able to save her when he was imprisoned too.

"Fiyero let me go. You are hurting me."

"Not until you listen to me."

Fiyero knew that he shouldn't do it, gripping her wrist like this, hurting her, but desperate times called for desperate measures. He needed Glinda to see reason. She had to realize that she was the one not seeing the truth.

"Glinda, you have to listen to me, please. You haven't seen what I have seen. Haven't heard what I have heard. You only know very little of the truth," he begged.

Glinda needed to listen to him, to realize that everything she believed now about Elphaba were lies. She had once known and believed the truth but sometime over the years that had gone by she had forgotten that the Wizard was fake, not able to do magic. She had forgotten that Madame Morrible was the evil witch and not Elphaba.

"What truth? That Elphaba has gone completly mad? That she has bewitched you?"

"She has a daughter," Fiyero said.

Shocked Glinda looked at him. A daughter? Elphaba had a daughter? But where was the girl? She wasn't thrown into Southstairs with Elphaba. Morrible hadn't said anything about a child.

"How? Where? . . No!"

"Yes Glinda. Elphaba has a daughter. She believed her to be dead. Morrible just told her that she had hid the child."

"To keep her safe."

"No, Glinda please. You have to remember what you once told me about the day Elphaba defied the Wizard. You were the one who told me that Morrible and the Wizard are the bad ones. Morrible wants the child to visit Elphaba-"

"That's nice of her," Glinda interrupted Fiyero.

Fiyero groaned. It seemed Glinda hadn't realized that the way Elphaba looked right now, a mass of bruises and welts covering her body, would give anyone nighmares.

He intended to take her to Southstairs now, showing her what he meant. Sure it was a bit brainless but maybe the only chance he got.

And when they arrived at Southstairs Glinda saw her again. She had once been here, two weeks ago, visiting Elphaba, from afar. But Fiyero opened the cell and walked inside so she could see everything up close.

"You can't go in," Glinda said.

"Elphaba can't escape, she is chained to the wall. Follow me."

"But-" Glinda stopped and followed Fiyero into the cell.

Glinda gasped as she saw her friend. Elphaba was unconcious, chained to the wall as usual. Angry red welts marred her green skin and her dress was torn, only bits and pieces of cloth, of what had once been a beautiful black dress, were still covering her body.

"Is she dead?" Glinda asked.

"No, but sometimes I wish she was. Then she wouldn't have to suffer like this."


	12. Chapter 12

For disclaimer and other stuff, see part 1 and thank you for the reviews to **XxXxIcePrincessXxXx, Rosie85, danderson** and **TillItryIllneverknow**.

**Rosie85:** Glinda will realize that Morrible is the evil one pretty soon. And I will think about some happiness for Glinda, too.

**danderson**: Fiyero won't be turned into a scarecrow in this fanfic, not that I planned at this point but maybe, this fanfic has a life of it's own. I guess you have to wait and see.

**Chapter ****12**

Glinda was still in shock on the carriage ride back to the palace.

She had seen something that had shaken her to the core. The woman held captive in Southstairs resembled nothing of the friend she remembered.

_After the dance at the Ozdust Ballroom, both girls went back to their dormroom._

_Glinda had insisted on doing something nice for Elphaba: making her beautiful and popular. Elphaba had done something nice for Glinda: forcing Madame Morrible into letting Glinda attend the sorcery seminar too and now Glinda had to do something for Elphaba too. _

"_This is never going to work! I will never be beautiful. I am green."__  
_

"_Elphie__, you have to stop thinking like that. Is it ok that I call you Elphie?"_

"_No, I would-"_

"_Wonderful. Now, your whole life is going to change because of me."_

"_How nice of you," Elphaba muttered._

_Glinda took the flower she had been wearing out of her hair and put it into Elphaba's._

"_Why, Miss Elphaba, look at you, you're beautiful."  
_

Glinda decided to talk to Madame Morrible.

Elphaba's suffering had to end, one way or another. Maybe there could be some kind of amnesty for her. Or maybe they could finally have the trial they intended. All she knew was that the torture had to stop.

Glinda wiped away the tears that were falling from her eyes. Even though she was now a mad woman who had killed a lot of people, Elphaba didn't deserve what they were doing to her. No one deserved what was happening to Elphaba.

Madame Morrible knew Elphaba before she had become the Witch, maybe she could help Elphaba. In fact, Glinda was sure that Madame Morrible would see to it that everything would be alright again.

Yes, both had changed over the years but nothing could have prepared her for what she had seen in the cell.

"_Sweet Oz, Fiyero, what have they done to her?" Glinda asked, shocked. She couldn't believe her own eyes. She just couldn't. That couldn't have been Elphaba chained to the wall like that. If she didn't know any better, she would say that this was another woman with green skin and not her best friend. _

"_There are a lot of things you don't want to know."_

Elphaba hadn't regained consciousness while Fiyero and Glinda had been in Southstairs. Not that they could have stayed for long. But Glinda had made the promise to herself to return.

And when they reached the palace again, Glinda left the carriage before Fiyero had a chance to stop her.

Gathering her skirt, Glinda walked up the stairs. She was a woman on a mission. Her mission was to stop Elphaba's suffering. But the deeds of the witch needed to be punished.

"Madame Morrible, we have to put a stop to the torture of the Wicked Witch," Glinda said as she walked into Morrible's office.

"I have to stop this?" Morrible looked at Glinda in disbelief. Was the blonde girl out of her mind? She had to stop what they were doing to the Witch? Never. Not until the green one would cooperate.

"Madame, you've got to stop this, it's gone too far! Today when I visited her, sweet Oz, it was horrible. There is no resemblance to the Elphaba who once shared a room with me back at Shiz. She is a mass of welts and bruises. Madame, we have to help her."

"Oh, I think Elphaba can take care of herself."

Glinda was shocked at Madame Morrible. She had been sure that the woman would help her.

"But Elphaba was my best friend," Glinda protested.

"She was. She is now evil incarnate. She can't be the best friend of Glinda the Good. You know that she hurt the monkeys and how jelaous she was when the Wizard asked you and not her."

"It was the other way round! Madame. You know that the Wizard invited Elphaba and not me. You've got it all wrong," Glinda interrupted Madame Morrible.

"Are you sure?"

It seemed to Madame Morrible that Glinda had stopped believing the lies. If that was true then she would have to act. Maybe a little spell, something to brainwash the blonde girl again. Or maybe treating her with imprisonment would be enough.

"I know that Elphaba has suffered enough and I think she should be given some kind of amnesty. I guess the Ozians would believe me when I tell them that the Wicked Witch had surrendered herself and sworn off all evilness," Glinda told her.

"Now you listen to me, Missy. You may have fooled the rest of Oz with this 'aren't I good' routine, but you know better. You've wanted this since the beginning and now you're getting what you wanted. Or you could accompany your friend in her cell. I guess there is enough room for the two of you."

Glinda gaped at Madame Morrible.

"No."

"Then go and smile again. Forget about her. Forget all this foolishness about amnesty for the Witch or you will be her cellmate faster then you can say beautiful," Morrible told her.

The last couple of years had been a dream for Glinda. She couldn't and wouldn't give up the life she now lived. She was Glinda the Good, about to get married to the most eligible bachelor in Oz, living in the Emerald City, working for the wonderful Wizard of Oz. But she knew that she had payed a high price for the life she now lived. The price had been her friendship with Elphaba.

Years ago when Elphaba had invited her to come with her to the Emerald City and visit the Wizard, both had to choose between what was easy and what had been right. Glinda had choosen the easy life: fame and glory. But Elphaba chose what was right. She was now the outcast, held as a prisoner in Southstairs.

If Glinda had followed Elphaba, both women would now be in Southstairs.

Yes, it had been the right decision back then not to defy the Wizard. Glinda had choosen her life.

And now she had to make a choice again. She had to choose between what was easy and what was right. It would be easy to forget the person in Southstairs. She had lived years without her best friend. She could continue forgetting her existence. But on the other hand she still had a conscience. Glinda had to help Elphaba, one way or another. And if Madame Morrible wouldn't help her, she would have to ask the Wizard or maybe she should talk with Fiyero some more. Maybe he could help when others couldn't.

After all, it seemed that he was set on helping her, whatever the cost.


	13. Chapter 13

For disclaimer and other stuff, see part 1 and thank you for the reviews to **XxXxIcePrincessXxXx** and **TillItryIllneverknow**.

**Chapter ****13**

Glinda found Fiyero in his office again. He was studying the contents of a box she had never seen before in his possesion.

"What's this?" she asked as she walked closer to him.

Fiyero, who hadn't heard her enter his office, looked up in surprise. He was holding a lock of ebony hair, Elphaba's hair.

"It's some hair," Glinda exclaimed.

"Just memories from long ago," he answered, ready to close the box before Glinda could see all it's contents.

"Show me," she half demanded, half begged.

"Not today."

Fiyero stood up and placed the box back in its hiding place. These were his memories. He never wanted to share them with anyone, except with Elphaba.

He could recall by memory exactly what was placed in the box: the pressed flower, his drawing of her, a lock of Elphaba's hair, a glass-bottle filled with sand from the cabin in Quaddlingland, his favourite Vinkus-scarf that had been put to good use during their time together, a little note she had written him once and the cursed letter from the Wizard of Oz.

Sighing, Glinda sat down on the nearest chair and watched her fiance. She needed to tell him what had happend with Morrible. He needed to know how mean she had been towards Glinda.

"I talked to Morrible."

"Wonderful," Fiyero said, sarcasm dripping from his voice. For a moment he sounded like Elphaba.

Glinda shook her head. Talking to Madame Morrible hadn't been wonderful and now she needed a plan. She needed to save her friend. Yes, it was sudden but she had started to doubt the things people had said about her friend. Maybe Elphaba was never wicked but she couldn't find out for sure if they killed her. Glinda didn't believe that people were born wicked so maybe she could save her.

"I hope you realize that Elphaba has no future. If Morrible knows that we doubt that she is the Wicked Witch, then Elphaba will be killed before we can do anything. And maybe we will accompany her on her dying day, not as people watching from afar but being executed too," he stated.

"Yes I know. Morrible threatened me. She said if I don't stop this nonsense I will be next to her in the cell. How dare this woman! I am Glinda the Good. The Ozians need me. I can't be in the cell, in Southstairs."

"Maybe Elphaba has to die," Fiyero said.

"No!"

"Listen Glinda, she can't go on living like this: always chained to the wall, waiting for someone taking her to another round of torture. Maybe it's for the best that she dies," Fiyero told Glinda.

"No, no! Fiyero, we can't. We have to keep her alive," Glinda protested.


	14. Chapter 14

For disclaimer and other stuff, see part 1 and thank you for the reviews to **XxXxIcePrincessXxXx, Rosie85** and **xXetceteraXx.**

**Chapter ****14**

Glinda couldn't believe what Fiyero had suggested. Killing Elphaba wasn't an option for Glinda. She wanted to save her somehow. She wanted to do the noble thing and tell the Ozians that the Wicked Witch would do only good deeds from now on. She, Glinda the Good, would have been the one helping the Witch see reason.

"It is the only way. We can't tell the Ozians that she is now a good witch. Elphaba would hate the things the Wizard and Morrbile would force her into doing. As long as both rule Oz there is no place for Elphaba," Fiyero explained.

"But killing her, Fiyero, we can't."

He sighed.

Fiyero had a plan, kind of. He knew that there was some kind of potion, made of mandrake root that made you sleep. He could somehow give this potion to Elphaba. She would appear to be dead and he could smuggle her out of Southstairs.

But they had still the matter with the child to solve. He needed to find out where Morrible was hiding Elphaba's daughter and he needed to figure out how to get her. He couldn't very well walk up to Morrible and demand that she handed the child that he had possibly fathered over to him.

He would clear up the matter of Tanith parentage after he had saved Elphaba. Fiyero knew that he needed to have a long talk with his former lover.

"Glinda, I have a plan. You have to trust me," he said soothingly.

"Trust you? You plan to kill Elphaba."

"Only kind of."

"How can you kind of kill someone? You either kill someone or not," Glinda told him.

"The less you know the better. But trust me, I would never harm Elphaba."

Fiyero stood up and was about to leave his office. Just as he was about to exit, he turned around and looked at Glinda. Maybe he should tell her about his past with Elphaba. Maybe she would understand that he needed to save Elphaba because they had once been lovers. But Fiyero didn't find the right words.

He left without another word, leaving Glinda behind.

The next couple of days went by in a blur for both of them.

Fiyero had to plan Elphaba's "death". He had to find a place where he could hide her. His parents had bought him a little house not far from the Emerald City. He could hide Elphaba there until she was well enough to travel to the Vinkus. As for Tanith, it would be easier and less suspecious to first let the Witch die and later kidnap the girl.

During the next couple of days Fiyero was busy setting up his plan. Glinda hadn't seen her fiancé in days. He had told her that he was away on business for his parents. After all, he was still the crown prince of the Vinkus. He still intended to take over the crown some day and rule the Vinkus.

However, in reality, Fiyero had heard about a woman who brewed everything you asked of her.

He had been visiting her, in disguise. He still remembered her words when she had held out the bottle of potion to him:

"You know what they call this potion? Sleep of death. You appear to be dead but you are only sleeping a very deep sleep. Use the potion wisely. If you use to much it can actually kill you."

Yes, he would use it wisely. He would only use a few drops of the potion and he would give it to Elphaba soon.

But Fiyero wasn't sure if she would drink it willingly. He knew that she wouldn't take the cowards way out of Southstairs. He knew that she was stubborn. She would argue with him and tell him that she would wait for her trial, but the two of them knew that there never would be a trial. Morrible would let her rot in her cell until her dying day.

Maybe he could slip it into something he gave her to drink. Elphaba had to be fed sometimes because some Gale Forcers wouldn't even unchain her for her meals. She didn't even get regular meals, much to his chagrin. He had argued with Morrible and the Wizard more than once, telling them that Elphaba was, after all a human being and they couldn't treat her like dirt. She desevered to be handled with respect.

Fiyero knew that time was precious and that he had to act soon. The house was prepared. Sometime this week he would slip the potion into Elphaba's water. When she was pronounced dead he would tell the Gale Forcers that he would carry her corpse outside and dump her in the Munchkin River.

Then he would retrieve her body and hide her in his house. He hoped that by the time he would put his plan in motion he would know where Tanith was hidden. This way he could maybe even take the girl with them.

Yes, it was the perfect plan even if it was a bit brainless. He knew that he might have to go into hiding too. He could go back to the Vinkus and take his rightful place as the crown prince. Maybe Glinda would follow him and he could have his happily-ever-after.

Right now he was in his office again, writing a letter to his parents.

"I intend to come home soon. The Emerald City is not the place I want to live. And after all, we have canceled the wedding," Fiyero stopped reading the letter out loud to himself.

Did they postpone or cancel the wedding? He wasn't sure. But having a wedding wasn't in his mind right now. His only thoughts were of Elphaba.


	15. Chapter 15

For disclaimer and other stuff, see part 1 and thank you for the reviews to **XxXxIcePrincessXxXx **and** TillIlltryIllneverknow.**

**Chapter 15**

As Elphaba regained consciousness the first thing she realized was that she was lying down, something she hadn't done in a while. She had always been chained to the wall standing upright. She had lost count how many days she had been standing, imprisoned. It could have been months for all she cared but now she was lying down. It didn't make sense.

And as she opened her eyes a light blinded her, forcing her to close her eyes. Why was it so bright in Southstairs? She didn't know the answer to her own question but she must have said it out loud because she heard a voice answer her thought.

"You aren't in Southstairs anymore."

Someone was here with her. Who? She hadn't heard the voice before but still it sounded familiar, like a memory from long ago.

"I am closing the curtain, wait a moment and then try to open your eyes again."

And after a moment, when she opened her eyes again, Elphaba saw an elderly woman sitting next to her bed.

"Who are you? Where am I?" Elphaba asked as she struggled to sit up.

"Don't get up. You should lay down."

"Where am I?" Elphaba repeated her question.

She wasn't sure it wasn't a trick. Maybe Morrible had brought her here, trying to lure her into a false security. Maybe the next time she woke up she would be back in her cell. Or she was dead and this was heaven. But no, she couldn't be in heaven. She had done many wrongs in her life and didn't deserve a happily-ever-after in her afterlife. Besides, she didn't even believe in any kind of goddess or afterlife. No this must be a trick. No one cared for her to save her. Glinda would only want to save her to tell the Ozians that she, Glinda the Good, had cured Elphaba of her wickedness.

"The house is called Evergreen," the woman answered, still not revealing her identity.

"Evergreen," Elphaba repeated the name.

Green. Elphaba suddenly realized that the woman hadn't commented on her being green. A normal reaction, one she would have anticipated, would have been someone running away or making snide comments.

"Why are you helping me?"

"Because I care and my son does too," the woman answered.

"Your son? Tell me who you are and who brought me here," Elphaba demanded.

But there wasn't any strength left in her. The time she had spent in Southstairs had taken their toll on Elphaba. She still felt exhausted and every inch of her body hurt.

"We received a letter from our son. It was a disturbing letter and it had me worried. After everything that had happend in the past, I knew I had to come to the Emerald City and see for myself if he was all right or not. When I arrived here, I found him in this room, trying to clean your wounds. Believe me, dearie, it was something I haven't seen in a while, not since the Great War ended decades ago," she told her.

"He should have left me where I was."

"He couldn't. And I am glad Fiyero didn't."

"Fiyero?"

Elphaba was surprised. Fiyero had saved her. He, the head of the Gale Force, had saved her, the Wicked Witch. If Fiyero was this woman's son, then the woman must be the Queen of the Vinkus, Glinda's future mother in law.

"Yes, I am the Queen of the Vinkus, but call me Kaikoura," she said, answering Elphaba's unspoken question.

The woman was really Fiyero's mother and he had saved her. She didn't know how but Elphaba intended to find out why he brought her here and, for a short moment, she allowed herself to believe that somehow he could save her daughter too. Just for a short moment she let herself believe in a happily-ever-after, one she had always dreamt about.

"Try to get some more sleep, dearie."

And the next time Elphaba woke up, she was surprised that Kaikoura wasn't sitting with her still. In her place was Fiyero.

"Fae," he whispered, happy to see her awake.

"Why am I here?" she asked him.

"No thank you?"

"You should have left me there. I knew that I was going to die sooner or later and that I would never ever get my child back. There was nothing left to live for me."

"Elphaba, I couldn't leave you there. Most times you weren't even conscious when they tortured you. It would have been a matter of days until you died."

"How long have I been here?"

"Three weeks."

It had been three weeks ago that he had lain next to Glinda, sleeping soundly until pulled from his dreams. Fiyero had felt that something wasn't right but he hadn't known what had really woken him up. It was some kind of feeling, like hurt and joy combined. Unable to get back to sleep, he went to Southstairs. There he found her, barely breathing, more dead then alive. He acted on instinct. He had told the guards that the Wicked Witch was dead. When they ran up to the palace to inform Morrible and the Wizard about Elphaba's death he had administered the potion. After that, he prayed to every unnamed God and Goddess that his plan would work.

And it did. It worked.

Everyone in Oz believed the Wicked Witch of the West was dead. Only Fiyero and his mother knew the truth.

He had been surprised when his mother had arrived in Evergreen shortly after he had moved Elphaba to the house. She never asked any questions. His mother knew that Fiyero and Elphaba had been a couple in the past. He had always told his mother everything. She was his secret-keeper.

"They think I am dead?" Elphaba asked.

"Yes. Telling them you died in Southstairs was the only way to save you."

"And now? What is going to happen to me now? You want to keep me here forever? From one prison to another," she said, bitterness lacing her voice.

"Evergreen is not a prison. You will get better and then I am going to move you to the Vinkus. You'll be safe there," he promised as he tried to take her hand in his.

"Don't touch me," she hissed as she flinched away.

"I am sorry."

And he was. Fiyero was sorry for everything. He was sorry that he hadn't tried harder to keep her with him when she left him in Quaddlingland. He was sorry that he hadn't been faithful.

He was sorry that he didn't try to save her from the torture she had suffered in Southstairs sooner.

But he wasn't sorry that she was alive.


	16. Chapter 16

For disclaimer and other stuff, see part 1 and thank you for the reviews to **XxXxIcePrincessXxXx **and** TillIlltryIllneverknow.**

**Chapter 16**

In the evening, Fiyero had to get back to the Palace and the life he lived with Glinda. He wished he could stay with Elphaba and talk to her. There were a lot of things he wanted to ask her, the most important one being about Tanith. But for the moment, he would have to settle with go back to the Palace and find out where Morrible was hiding the girl. He had to save her for Elphaba.

His mother stayed with Elphaba. And for the first time since being with Fiyero, Elphaba felt as if someone cared for her and wasn't afraid of who she was.

"Why aren't you afraid of me?" Elphaba asked.

"Why should I?"

"Because I am the Wicked Witch of the West," Elphaba answered.

Kaikoura laughed.

"Dearie, you may be a Witch, as you call yourself, but I don't believe the evil things the Press Secretary has told the Ozians. I remember the letters my son wrote home during his time at Shiz telling me about the green goddess he had met."

Green Goddess? Elphaba remembered a time, years ago, when they had been back at Shiz.

_Elphaba stood in front of the window in Fiyero's dorm room. Fiyero stood right behind her. It was dark both out and in the room; only the moonlight was illuminating part of the room._

_She closed her eyes at the sensation of Fiyero's tender kisses on the back of her neck, memories of earlier that night resurfacing and causing her to duck her head._

"_You are beautiful, my little green goddess."_

"_I am not," she said._

"_To me you are. You're my beautiful green goddess. I don't care what the others say or think."_

The memories of her past with Fiyero were wonderful but they didn't keep her warm at night. Finally she had been able to close that chapter of her life only to have him entered her life again.

Elphaba felt confused.

"What is going to happen to me?" she asked Fiyero's mother.

"Fiyero hasn't told you?"

"He said that I will go to the Vinkus," Elphaba answered.

Kaikoura sighed. She knew her son. She knew that he would try to force Elphaba to do what he wanted. She remembered a day long ago when he had returned home. Fiyero had been disturbed that his girlfriend had left him. He had told his mother that he wanted to keep her safe.

"_Mother, I love her and now she is off fighting for whatever she believes in. I know that they will try to kill her. I have begged her to stay with me and go into hiding. We could keep her safe here, in the Vinkus," Fiyero told his mother._

"_She must be a remarkable woman, your Elphaba."_

"_She is, but right now she is doing something foolish."_

"_She chose to stand up for her beliefs." _

_Kaikoura knew what her son meant. She had read all the letters he wrote home. She could read between the lines and knew that he envisioned a happily-ever-after with a girl she had never met but was now bringing uproar to OZ. _

"Fiyero wants to keep you safe. In the Vinkus you will be safe. You need a lot of rest to regain your strength. We are here to help you," Kaikoura answered.

"I never had help and I don't want help, especially not his," Elphaba whispered.

It seemed to Kaikoura that Elphaba tried very hard to not let Fiyero get close to her again, but being a woman, one who loved deeply, Kaikoura presumed that there must have been a time in her life when Elphaba had longed for Fiyero to be there for her. She could only assume that Elphaba had closed her heart of all emotion, especially hope, and couldn't let herself to feel again. She couldn't let herself get hurt again.


	17. Chapter 17

For disclaimer and other stuff, see part 1 and thank you for the reviews to **XxXxIcePrincessXxXx, Someonerandome **and** TillIlltryIllneverknow.** I really wish more people would review, so I know if you like it, each chapter has at least 40 hits and I get only three reviews per chapter.

**Chapter 17**

Three weeks had passed since it had been announced that the Wicked Witch of the West was dead and would never ever haunt the Ozians.

Life in the Palace was now depressing for Glinda. Even when she hadn't seen Elphaba in years and both weren't on the same side anymore, she mourned the death of her best friend. She now wore mostly green dresses in honor of her best friend who had died before she had a chance to change the world. Elphaba had always only wanted to save the Animals and maybe one day have a life she deserved.

Since there was no grave where Elphaba was buried, Glinda had placed a pink flower, a rose, in the cell Elphaba had been held prisoner. Fiyero had told Glinda that Elphaba's corpse had been stuffed in a sack and burned, that way there would never be a reminder of the Wickedness.

"I am sorry Elphie. I should have done something. I should have been there or stopped it. Part of me is glad that you are dead, that you don't have to endure the endless hours of torture, but still I miss you, my best friend. I promise you I will make sure that your daughter is safe. I am going to have a talk with Morrible and the Wizard and demand that I raise her. I am going to tell her that her mommy was my best friend and teach her your beliefs. I promise to raise her and love her as my own."

"Yes, we have to find Elphaba's daughter and keep her safe."

Glinda whirled around.

She hadn't heard anyone enter the cell and was more than surprised to see Fiyero standing behind her.

"I have no place where I can mourn my best friend and I thought I would come down here," Glinda said, explaining to him why she was down here.

Fiyero nodded; he understood.

"You have found her. Tell me, was she already dead or did she die with you by her side? Did she die alone?" Glinda wanted to know.

"She wasn't alive when I found her." He hated lying to Glinda but he couldn't tell her the truth, not now. Maybe later, when Tanith was safe, he could tell her that Elphaba was alive and well. But for now Glinda had to believe the lie about Elphaba's death.

"I have asked the guards for Elphaba's things. I want something to remember her by," Glinda told him, pointing towards a black knapsack sitting next to the celldoor.

"You have memories," he told her.

"I want more. I, Fiyero, I want her back," Glinda finally admitted.

Fiyero looked down, knowing that with whatever lie he would come up he couldn't ease Glinda's pain.

Before he had told them that the Witch was dead, Fiyero would have never believed that Glinda would mourn Elphaba. He had thought that Glinda didn't care for her friend. Part of him had believed that he was the only one caring for Elphaba.

Glinda picked up the knapsack and walked out of the cell, Fiyero following her. Both didn't know what was in the knapsack but they were going to find out soon what was kept inside.

Maybe Elphaba had her own little trinkets like Fiyero to remember the past.

And he was right.

In the bag was a pink ribbon; the same one Glinda had used to tie her hair back when she had been a student at Shiz.

"I have always wondered where this went. I thought I lost it." Glinda told him as she sat next to Fiyero in their room, examining the contents of Elphaba's bag.

"What else is in there?"

"Some trinkets but not the Grimmerie, as I would have presumed," Glinda told him. Part of her had hoped that the cursed book that had started all the misery would be among Elphaba's possessions.

"Either Morrible already found it or Elphaba destroyed the book," Fiyero told her.

"Maybe I could ask Morrible if she had gotten the Grimmerie back," Glinda wondered out loud.

Both knew that Morrible would do horrible things if she had gotten the book back. The spells in the book weren't reversable and could do a lot of harm if a spell was uttered without a second thought. Glinda sighed as she remembered the spell that started all the uproar throughout OZ. The spell that gave the monkeys the ability to fly, that made Elphaba the Wicked Witch of the West.

"You look tired Glinda. You should get some rest. I have to go, I am on patrol tonight and won't be back for a while," Fiyero said suddenly. He wanted to go and spent the night in another place. He couldn't deal with Glinda when she was emotional and he needed to make sure that Elphaba was all right.

Glinda walked over to the bed and lay down, setting the knapsack next to her bed on the floor.

"You won't be back tonight?" she asked.

"No."

In truth he would spent the night in Evergreen, watching Elphaba sleep, but Glinda didn't know the truth.

After he had left her, Glinda sat up again and looked some more through the contents of the knapsack which contained her pink ribbon, a green glass-bottle she had already seen somewhere else but didn't know where, a unionist-bible which had possibly belonged to Nessarose at one point in her life, her pointed hat which had been a present from Glinda and a handmade doll which probably belonged to Tanith. All the things in Elphaba's bag were things she had kept to remember the people she had been holding dear to her heart but there was nothing that would remind someone of Fiyero. Glinda asked herself if Elphaba never cared for Fiyero.

"I always thought both were friends," she said out loud and picked up the bible.

As she was about to place the bible back in the knapsack a letter fell out. Curious Glinda picked it up and read the letter out loud.

"My beloved Fae,

When I arrived at Shiz, everyone knew about my scandalous reputation. I was the prince, the winkie prince, who drank and partied too much, flirted with girls, broke their heart and skipped all of his classes. I was dancing through life. My parents were inches away from disowning me since I have been kicked out of many schools too. And then I met you, a rebel in your own way. We are two kindred spirits. Call us two halves of one piece. Each day I thank the unnamed god and every other saint for having you, my love, in my life. I know that I could never go on with my life without you in it. You are my north, my south, my east, my west, the centre of my universe – you, my darling Fae, are the love of my life. You are my everything. Tomorrow, when you will go to the Emerald City to see the Wizard, I will be with you in your thoughts and I will wait for you until you return to me.

Forever yours,

Yero."

Wiping the tears that ran freely down her cheeks, Glinda set the letter down. Elphaba and Fiyero had been in love. Glinda had never known. Neither Elphaba nor Fiyero had ever let it slip that at one point in their lives, the two of them had been more then friends.

Glinda vowed to herself that she would make sure Fiyero would get the love and happiness he deserved.


	18. Chapter 18

For disclaimer and other stuff, see part 1 and thank you for the reviews to **XxXxIcePrincessXxXx, Rosie85 **and **Akasharogue. **Starting friday I will be gone until the next weekend. I try to post the complete fanfic before I am leaving, but I can't make any promises. The fanfic is soon coming to an end, altogether 22 chapters. When I return I will start writing the sequel to CHILD OF THE WICKED and I am still looking for a title and am open for suggestions.

**Chapter 18 **

Every minute Fiyero could spare from his life in the Emerald City was spent in Evergreen, sitting at Elphaba's bedside, guarding her while she slept. To his mother, it seemed that he had to make sure that Elphaba wouldn't suddenly disappear from his life again.

Right now his mother stood out the door, observing her son. Kaikoura was worried. She wanted her son to have the happiness he deserved, but what about the two woman in his life? Kaikoura had never met Elphaba. She only knew her from the letter her son had sent home. When she had read her son's letters she had known that he was deeply in love with Elphaba.

And then there was Glinda. Glinda had come home one summer together with Fiyero. He had introduced her, saying that Glinda and Elphaba had been friends.

Kaikoura had talked with her son back then. She had asked him if Glinda was a replacement for Elphaba, which he had denied, fiercely. Fiyero had made sure that no one except his mother knew about his relationship with Elphaba. No one in the Vinkus or the Emerald City or even back at Shiz had suspected that the prince and the freak had been an item.

In fairytales, the prince always got his princess, but maybe in this fairytale the prince should have gotten his green goddess.

Glinda and Elphaba, both were different as night and day.

Glinda was bursting with happiness, only caring about the newest style, trendy colors and the 'who is who' of the Emerald City.

Elphaba was, from what she had learned about the woman, a very serious woman who was firm in her beliefs. She had a couple of her own character traits herself. Maybe Elphaba was the right wife for her son. He needed a woman who balanced out his carefree dancing-through-life attitude.

Kaikoura was sure that her son loved both women in his own way and that the two women loved him too.

Fiyero would have to choose one day soon between the women. He was going to marry one of them.

He had already promised Glinda to marry her and had very nearly made her the future Queen of the Vinkus. If the Wicked Witch of the West hadn't interrupted the ceremony, he would be a married man by now. Kaikoura had only learned recently that the Wicked Witch and the Elphaba she now took care of was the same person.

Kaikoura knew that she had to talk to her son soon. She had to talk some sense into him.

Her son was holding Elphaba's, who was sleeping, hand, peacefully for once, softly talking to her but loud enough that Kaikoura could hear his words.

"I thought I would never see you again. For months I waited for you, waited until you would be back in my arms. But you never came and when I believed that you would never be mine again. I was about to marry your best friend when you came back into my life. Fae, why couldn't you let me know that you were safe all this years? Night after night I have lain awake, asking myself if you were safe and if you would ever return to me, my love. And now I am totally confused. I need you. I need you more then I can explain. I don't know anymore what I should do. I have planned my life, a life without you. I was about to marry Glinda. Fae, please, tell me what I should do. I guess I still love you. How could I ever get over you, when I'd give my life for yours?"

Kaikoura felt tears threatening to spring to her eyes, but she took a deep breath and fought them back. She wasn't going to cry. She had to be strong, for her son and for Elphaba.

She cared for the young woman. Fiyero had told her that he would try to find and save Elphaba's daughter. Kaikoura knew that she would have gone mad if she learned that someone had captured her child. Only mothers could understand the pain Elphaba was feeling since her daughter was taken away from her.

Kaikoura stepped into the room.

"You can never forget the first love," Kaikoura said.

Surprised Fiyero turned around. He hadn't known that his mother had been nearby or even listening to anything he had said to Elphaba.

"We should talk outside and let her rest in peace," Kaikoura suggested.

"But…"

"She will still be here in half an hour."

Kaikoura knew that Fiyero dreaded everytime he had to leave Evergreen and Elphaba's side. But what she had to tell her son needed to be said only between the two of them. Even when Elphaba was asleep she couldn't be sure that the woman would wake up anytime soon and hear them talking.

He nodded and followed his mother out into the hall, leaving the door ajar.

"Fiyero, I am worried about you."

"I am fine."

"You have a life in the Emerald City. You are the Captain of the Gale Force, fiancé of Glinda the Good," she reminded her son, "What are you going to do? You can't have both in your life. Not like this. I know about your feelings for Elphaba, don't try to deny them. I heard you talking to her today. You have to make a decision. It's not fair to continue like this. Neither to Elphaba nor to Glinda."

"Mother, I know. I made a promise to Glinda, a promise to marry her and I meant what I said. I am a man of honor. I wouldn't ever give a promise and not make good on it. Taking a promise back is something I would never do and haven't done. Am I right?"

Kaikoura nodded. To believe that something was right and then to realise it wasn't at all was not easy to accept. Tiggular men were men of honor, she knew that Fiyero would marry Glinda but she wasn't sure if it would make him happy.

"And as for Elphaba, I don't know. I thought I had lost her and now she is back in my life. I only know that I can't and don't want to lose her ever again. She is very important to me. As you have said, she was, and is, my first love," he continued.

"You want to keep her in your life? As a friend or a lover? Make her your mistress?" Kaikoura asked, not really knowing the answer.

Kaikoura and Fiyero had left the door ajar, in case Elphaba would wake up and need something.

And she did wake up and listened to the words that were said outside. Elphaba could hear them talking and was shocked as she heard that Kaikoura suggested that Fiyero should make her his mistress.

Fiyero looked at his mother shocked, too.

He didn't know how to answer this question, as he hadn't thought that far into the future. He needed to get out of the house and clear his mind to think. Without saying another word or even looking into the room if Elphaba was still asleep, he left Evergreen, intending to return when he had an answer to his mother's question.


	19. Chapter 19

For disclaimer and other stuff, see part 1 and thank you for the review to **XxXxIcePrincessXxXx****.**

**Chapter 19**

The next couple of days passed in a blur. Fiyero hadn't had time to return to Evergreen and Glinda was busy preparing for a ball.

Two days ago Madame Morrible had told Glinda that it was time to have the wedding. The Ozians wanted something to look forward to and they had promised them the wedding of Glinda the Good and Fiyero, captain of the Gale-Force.

Glinda now stood in her room, getting her new wedding-dress fitted. She decided that she couldn't wear her other wedding dress since Fiyero had already seen her in it. Her new dress reminded her of Elphaba, a simple white dress with threads of emerald green woven into it under a white frock with a long train.

"Not fluffy enough. You, as Glinda the Good, should wear something more stylish." Madame Morrible said as she entered the room.

"I want something elegant."

Madame Morrible only nodded.

"Madame, I have a question. I need a little flower girl and I know that you have Elph-the Witch's daughter."

"You want her at your wedding? As a flower-girl?"

"Yes."

Madame Morrible looked at Glinda for a moment, trying to decide what she should say.

"I am having a meeting with the Wizard soon, we will talk later."

With that Morrible left the room and Glinda was alone again.

Sighing, Glinda sat down on of her chairs. She was worried about Fiyero. Ever since she had discovered the letter in Elphaba's things she started to observe her fiancé, trying to imagine what kind of love affair Elphaba and Fiyero had. Maybe some sordid affair before both attended Shiz. But Elphaba had never said that she knew Fiyero from somewhere. Or maybe they had been together before Glinda and Fiyero had fallen in love.

Glinda decided that she would ask Fiyero about his affair with Elphaba. Maybe he could tell her a romantic story, but first Glinda decided that she wanted to settle the matter about Elphaba's child. Tanith was now an orphan and Glinda wanted to care for the girl. Making up her mind, Glinda made her way to the throne-room. As she walked into the throne-room she saw the Wizard offering Madame Morrible a drink from a very familiar looking glass-bottle.

"Where did you get the bottle?" Glinda asked the Wizard, all thoughts about Tanith forgotten.

"It always belonged to me. I brought it with me from the land far away."

"A similar bottle belonged to Elphaba's mother."

The Wizard turned white. Glinda's words had triggered a memory of a night long ago; a night in which he had been with a beautiful woman, the wife of the governor of Munchkinland: Melena Thropp.

"She was my daughter, Melena's daughter, our daughter." The Wizard whispered but still loud enough for Morrible and Glinda to hear him.

"You let them kill your own child!" Glinda spat.

"No wonder she was powerful and could decipher the Grimmerie. She was the child of both worlds. To think about what her daughter could do with the right guidance, unbelievable." Morrible was happy, delighted even.

The Wizard turned towards Glinda. He now realized that he had destroyed his dream of fatherhood. His daughter, Elphaba, was dead and no one could bring back the dead.

"What should I do now?" he asked her.

"The most sensible thing. You will turn the leadership of Oz over to me and return to the land where you came from. I will tell the Ozians that leadership had been to strenous for you."

Glinda didn't know why she suggested even such a thing, but she was angry with the Wizard. She wanted him gone, out of her life and Oz forever.

The Wizard nodded, still thinking about the fact that he had let the Gale-Forcers torture his only child until she died. Now he would leave Oz and never return. Everything in Oz would only remind him of her if he stayed.

Before he left the throne-room for the last time he turned to Glinda.

"You knew her, my daughter?" he asked.

"She was my best friend."

"Tell me something about her."

Madame Morrible, who had been standing nearby, plotting how to use Tanith for the cause, looked at the Wizard.

"There is nothing to tell about the Witch," she spat.

"I disagree Madame. Elphaba was a wonderful person, only wanting to do good things. She was possibly the best person who has ever lived in Oz and I will honor her memory and make sure she didn't die in vain," Glinda answered.

"I wish I had known her better," the Wizard said as he left the room and Oz forever.

"What was that about?" Morrible said as she looked at Glinda, surprised. She hadn't heard what both had been talking about earlier.

"It's called a change in regime. Guards!"

And as the Guards entered the room Glinda pointed at Morrible. "I guess the Wizard has told you about me ruling Oz from now on. I want Madame Morrible to be thrown into Southstairs and search her rooms for a little girl."

By the next day, everything was the way it should always have been. Oz was at peace with no fake wizard was ruling the country . Madame Morrible was where she should always have been, imprisoned for her sins.

Glinda was standing on the balcony, watching the cheering crowd. She had announced that she would now rule instead of the Wizard, who had taken an indefinite leave from leadership.

Sighing, Glinda turned towards Fiyero, who stood nearby holding Elphaba's daughter in his arms. The Guards had found the little girl locked in one of the rooms in Morrible's quarters. She had taken a liking to Fiyero and clung to his side ever since.

Glinda guessed that Tanith was two or three years old, which meant that Elphaba was pregnant by the time she had defied the Wizard. And with Elphaba dead, she would never know who had fathered Tanith. Maybe a stranger Elphaba had met while she had been in hiding?

"What are we going to do now?" she asked.

"Go on as planned. You will rule Oz from now on and do good."

"And Tanith?"

"She should be with her mother."

"But Elphie is dead. I am going to raise her, teach her about style and etiquette and love her as if she is my own."

"No Glinda. I am taking Tanith with me and bring her to her mother," Fiyero told her.

"Fiyero, you can't take her to Elphie because she is dead. You told me yourself that you found her corpse."

"She is at Evergreen," he blurted out.

Fiyero had always known that someday he would have to tell Glinda the truth about Elphaba being alive but he hadn't planned to tell her like that.

Shocked, Glinda looked at her fiancé. She knew about Evergreen, a small cottage his parents had bought for him. If Elphaba was at Evergreen, it would mean that she was still alive and everyone had lied to her.

"Alive?" Glinda finally asked, needing to know for sure that the friend whose death she had mourned was still alive.

Fiyero only nodded.


	20. Chapter 20

For disclaimer and other stuff, see part 1 and thank you for the reviews to **XxXxIcePrincessXxXx, LaurenneTiggular, TillIlltryIllneverknow, gilgrissomlover, Rosie85 **and **Love That Wicked.**

**Chapter 20**

Glinda was still hurt that no one had told her that Elphaba was alive and wanted to accompany Fiyero and Tanith to Evergreen. Fiyero had protested vehemently. He had intended to ask Elphaba if he was Tanith's father but with Glinda in the room, he wasn't sure it would be such a good idea. But when Glinda had made up her mind you couldn't get her to do things otherwise.

They had taken a carriage to Evergreen, Fiyero letting Tanith sitting on his lap and Glinda holding Elphaba's knapsack. She wanted her friend to have her belongings back and ask her about the letter she had found in the bible.

As they entered the cottage Kaikoura was already waiting for them.

"Glinda, nice to see you," she said politely and as she turned to her son and the child he was carrying, Kaikoura gasped.

"Everything alright, mother?" Fiyero asked worried.

"She is Elphaba's daughter?" Kaikoura asked for confirmation, but already knowing the answer. Kaikoura knew who had fathered Tanith, too. Not that Elphaba had told her, but seeing the child, Kaikoura was reminded of a little boy she had raised, her little boy Fiyero, who was now grown up and had fathered Tanith.

"Yes."

"Fiyero, she looks like you. Even with the black hair, there is no doubt. Tanith is your daughter." Kaikoura told her son.

Shocked by finally hearing what he had always presumed, Fiyero sat the child down.

"You mean…" but he couldn't continue.

"I am sure but you should go in and ask her," Kaikoura told her son.

Fiyero took Tanith's hand and walked towards the room Elphaba was staying in. Glinda was about to follow her but Kaikoura stopped her.

"Let them talk alone, first. They need to talk and we shouldn't disturb them. You will have time to talk to her later."

Glinda nodded. Kaikoura was right. Fiyero and Elphaba had a matter to settle.

There were no joyful embraces for Fiyero. No impulsive kisses. Elphaba merely reclined on her bed, robes pulled around her, toddler nestling on her chest, face solemn and suspicious.

When both had first entered the room, Elphaba's eyes lit up upon discovering that she had her daughter back. Tanith had ran up towards the bed and, with a little help, was now settled in her mothers arms, happy to have her mommy back.

"I understand I have you to thank for the return of my daughter." The bite was familiar, but there was no strength to it, not to mention odd overtones of genuine thanks to it as well. "Thank you."

"Our daughter." Fiyero sat on the edge of the bed.

Once he'd wanted to scream the question in anger at the woman before him, but now he was soul-weary, hurt. He just wanted an answer.

Brief, blinding panic flared up in Elphaba's eyes. Flabbergasted Fiyero followed her gaze down to see she was clutching Tanith in her arms in an almost crushing grip, as if she was afraid that Fiyero would take her away from her again.

When she raised her gaze again, Elphaba was calm and controlled, the way he remembered her.

"Our daughter? Were you there when she was born? I think not, although they assure me I did create several inventive curses for you during her delivery. I felt alone but I wasn't alone. People who cared for me were there but you were not. You have chosen a different life for yourself before she was born." Her hand drifted down the toddler's back. "Were you there when she smiled her first smile? Did you ever wake up at night, hearing her cry, and feel your heart clench because something was wrong and you didn't know how to help her?" The words beat at Fiyero, guilt echoing in his chest. "Were you there when she took her first step or said her first word? Did you ever comfort her when she fell or woke up screaming? You seem so intent on claiming your daughter, Fiyero, can you tell me why you were never there?"

It wasn't his fault. It wasn't his fault! She never gave him the chance to be a father by withholding the fact that she had gotten pregnant.

"Sweet Oz, Elphaba, did you ever give me the chance?" Fiyero clenched his fists and found to his utter shock he was less than a breath away from attacking her. He took several breaths before continuing. "You never gave me the chance. You never told me. I could-" the words broke and it took all of him to continue. "I could…I would have been there. You know I would have." Truth seeped out of the words, spilling like ink across a blank page. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry I was so stupid, I swear, but I was wrong, I do love you Fae, why didn't you tell me?"

Elphaba watched him seemingly unaffected by his impassioned words. "Tell me, if I had told you, would you have cared?"

The words were an outright slap in the face. Fiyero reeled under the impact, unable to think, unable to form words.

"You never knew because you never cared to know. You were never given the chance because you were never there to give the chance to. After all, what would the Great Fiyero Tiggular, captain of the Gale-Force, prince of the Arjiki, fiance of Glinda the Good, care for an outcast and his bastard child?" The words flowed out like raw silk. "Why stay? Why bother with a lover you don't need? Why have any ties when there's nothing here compared to the life you have with Glinda? What would one, small child be compared to all that?"

"She is my child. She's ours," he whispered.

"Go, be with Glinda and let me live in peace with my child. Alone," Elphaba said, turning her head away. Her words had an air of finality.


	21. Chapter 21

For disclaimer and other stuff, see part 1 and thank you for the reviews to **gilgrissomlover, Someonerandome **and **Akasharogue.**

**Chapter 21**

Fiyero stormed out of the house. He was angry with Elphaba. How dare she! Tanith was his daughter too. He had every right to be part of her life. It was all Elphaba's fault that he had missed the first years of his daughter's life and he wouldn't let her take Tanith away from him again.

His mother and Glinda, who had been sitting in the living room, looked at his retreating form.

"I guess their talk didn't went well. Maybe I should go and talk to one of them," Glinda said as she stood up.

"Fiyero should be left alone with his thoughts for a while. He just learned that he had fathered a child." Kaikoura told her.

Kaikoura knew her son well. He needed a moment for himself to vent of his frustation. Talking with Elphaba about a possible future mustn't have been easy. Kaikoura knew that both were stubborn, her son and the woman he loved. She was sure that he still loved her. She had heard him say the three famous words to Elphaba. But they had Glinda and Tanith to think about too. Glinda was Fiyero's fiancé. He had told her that he would stick to his promise and still intended to marry Glinda. And Tanith was his daughter, he couldn't go on with dancing through life when he had a responsibility as big as a child but Kaikoura was unsure if Elphaba would let Fiyero be a part of his daughter's life.

"He is my fiancé, I am going to make sure that he is alright."

Glinda left Kaikoura alone.

She was happy that Elphaba was alive and she had gotten a second chance with her best friend but Glinda hadn't thought about the consequences. The Ozians wouldn't take the news that the Wicked Witch of the West was alive well. but she could think about a good explanation later. And the departure of the Wizard had been sudden. One moment he had been in Oz, ruling the country and the next moment, after learning that he was responsible for the death of his only child, had packed up his belongings and left.

But right now she had to make sure that her fiancé was all right. Right now Fiyero was her main concern and not her friend, Elphaba, who had come back from the dead.

Meanwhile Kaikoura walked into Elphaba's room. She sensed that she had to talk to the young woman. Maybe she could find out what made her son upset. It must have been something either of them had said.

Elphaba was sitting up in bed, listening to Tanith telling her what had happened. Tanith had started to tell her mother that the evil woman had locked her in a cupboard and had screamed at her. She had been given some kind of wooden stick to play with and then a nice man had come and found her. The nice man had brought her back to her mommy.

"She is a beautiful little girl. She looks a bit like Fiyero when he was a little boy," Kaikoura said as she entered the room.

"I am sorry."

"For what? I know that you had your reasons not to tell my son about his daughter. Part of me can understand."

"Tomorrow I will leave with Tanith," Elphaba said suddenly, determination in her voice.

"You aren't well enough. You should stay and rest. We still have to make plans for your future."

"I feel that I overstayed my welcome. I will leave tomorrow with my daughter," Elphaba repeated.

Kaikoura sighed. She had had the feeling that something was wrong with Elphaba. In the last couple of days Elphaba had been more distant and withdrawn. Kaikoura wanted to find out what was wrong. Maybe she could help her.

"Where will you go? Fiyero told me that your parents and sister are dead. You could come back with me to the Vinkus and stay with us. Tanith is after all my granddaughter. Or maybe, I am not sure, but perhaps you could stay here in Evergreen," Kaikoura told her.

"So you want me to stay and be your son's mistress." A mix of hurt and anger flowed through her, though she kept it under a tight leash.

Kaikoura looked shocked. It seemed that Elphaba had heard her talk with her son a couple of days ago and had misinterpreted her words. Kaikoura didn't know if Elphaba would believe her if she tried to explain why she had said this to her son.

"No. Yes. I want you to stay but not as Fiyero's mistress."

"But I heard you tell him…" Elphaba started.

"Elphaba, I wanted my son to realize that he can't have you both the way he wants to. Fiyero wants to keep both of you in his life. He doesn't want to hurt either of you. But in the end one of you is going to get hurt," Kaikoura tried to explain.

"That's why I am going to leave."

"And hurt him by doing so."

Elphaba looked down at her daughter, unable to say anything in return. She couldn't stay. If she did stay she would have to see the happy couple, Fiyero and Glinda, everyday. She couldn't bear to see the man she loved with another woman even when the other woman was her best friend. And to think that he would leave Glinda for being with her, she couldn't bear the thought of hurting Glinda either.

Meanwhile Fiyero sat outside in the garden that surrounded Evergreen, thinking about what he should do.

He wanted a wife, children and his happily-ever-after. He still hadn't made a decision if he wanted all those things with Glinda or Elphaba.

Fiyero still remembered the talk he had a long time ago with Elphaba, back before everything had gone wrong in their lives.

_They lay together in the grass, Elphaba's head resting on his chest, his fingers were playing with a strand of her hair._

"_Have you ever thought about the future?" he asked her._

"_The future in general?"_

"_Our future," he said._

_Elphaba pushed herself up on her elbows, looking down at Fiyero._

"_No, why?"_

"_You never pictured your life? Getting married? Having children?"_

_Elphaba shook her head. _

"_You know, my parents want to buy me a house when I finished Shiz. Maybe we could live there. I will make sure that there is enough room for a library, a garden you can tend to," he suggested._

"_We can't live together." _

"_Why not?"_

"_People will talk."_

"_You never cared about what others said about you before. And even me, I don't give a damn. Believe me, people won't talk about us. They won't have a reason since a man and a woman can share a house when they-" he started but Elphaba silenced him by putting a finger to his lips._

_She had sensed what he had wanted to say, that he wanted to suggest marriage. _

"You love her," he heard a voice behind him say.

As he turned around he saw his fiancé, Glinda. He had forgotten that his mother and Glinda had been in the house too.

"What do you mean? Glinda we are-"

"Please. Fiyero."

"We were together, back at Shiz," he admitted.

"And Tanith?"

"She is our daughter," he said, confirming what both had suspected.

"Why haven't-"

"I didn't know. She never told me about her pregnancy. There was no way to contact me. We were in the Emerald City, working for the wizard and she was his enemy; the enemy of Oz. She couldn't contact me. She couldn't tell me about Tanith. But if I had known-"

"What would you have done? Left me? Joined her? You would have been an outcast! Fiyero. Remember who you are! You are the next King of the Vinkus!"

"I know. I don't know what to do. Elphaba is angry with me and I don't know why."

Glinda sat down next to him.

"After she had defied the Wizard I saw her for the last time. I had begged her to stay with me but you know her. She had decided that she needed to do things on her own. It wasn't until the day we intended to get married that I saw her again," he continued.

They sat together in silence for a while.

"If things had gone different, would you, what I mean… would we still be a couple?" Glinda asked finally.

Fiyero looked down at his hands, he couldn't face Glinda. His answer would hurt her.

"No," He answered truthfully.

"You should go inside and tell her that you love her. She deserves someone who loves her. Fiyero, I know she still loves you," Glinda told him, fighting her emotions.

Ever since she had learned that Elphaba was still alive she knew that if the two of them still had feelings for each other she couldn't stand in the way of true love. Glinda still had the letter she had found in Elphaba's belongings. She knew that no woman would keep such a beautiful love-letter if she didn't want to remember the person who wrote it.

"No. She made it clear that she doesn't love me, that she doesn't want me in her life anymore. All those years I longed for her. I hoped and prayed that she was safe. Glinda, suddenly, when I thought I could go on with my life and love another woman, she comes back. And then I find out that I have a child that she never gave me the chance to get to know. I don't know what Tanith's first word was or when she took her first step. I wasn't there during Elphaba's pregnancy, watching her getting round, or during childbirth. She never gave me the chance to experience anything in my daughter's life and now I am going to lose them again. Glinda, tell me, is it selfish of me to want her in my life? To keep her and love her? I want her to stay. I love her, I still do."

Glinda nodded. She knew that there had to a decision made and that Fiyero couldn't decide. Maybe he didn't want to decide with whom he wanted to spend the rest of his life because he didn't want to hurt either of them. It was now up to Glinda to make the decision for Fiyero.

She slipped of her engagment ring and held out the ring to Fiyero.

"I was never meant to wear this ring," she said before she stood up and left him alone.


	22. Chapter 22

For disclaimer and other stuff, see part 1. Thank you to **MissWickedWitch, TillIlltryIllneverknow, JesseMacGirltheFlindaFreak, XxXxIcePrincessXxXx, Akasharogue, Someonerandone, gilgrissomlover, Love that Wicked, Rosie85, LaurenneTiggular, xXetcetereaXx, danderson, Lydia Monroe** and anyone else I haven't namend for your reviews. I am glad that you enjoyed my little story. As soon as my betareader returns the chapters for my new fanfic, the sequel to CHILD OF THE WICKED, I am going to post them. Finally I found the right title, look out for FINDING HER WICKED ROOTS.

**Chapter 22**

As Glinda walked into the house, she intended to talk to Elphaba and forget about her break-up with Fiyero. She wanted both her friends to be happy and would get over the pain of leaving Fiyero. Someday she would meet her prince charming since Fiyero wasn't hers, but Elphaba's.

Even from outside the room Elphaba was staying in, she could hear two women talking, arguing. Glinda stayed outside the door, unseen by the women, to listen to their argument.

"I can't stay. Fiyero is in love with Glinda. He has to realize that I am not the right woman to marry!"

"My son loves you. Yes, I feel sorry for Glinda. She is engaged to someone who doesn't really love her and she deserves all the loving she can get but not from my son. He deserves the happiness you can give him. Don't deny that you love him."

"Even if I do, I don't deserve his love."

Now it was Glinda's turn to interrupt the two. She entered the room in a dramatic manner, her skirt billowing, smiling, even squealing when she saw her best friend alive and well.

"Oh Elphie! I am so happy that you are alive!!"

Elphaba was thankful for the distraction but she couldn't know that Glinda intended to talk to her about Fiyero too.

"I am sorry that-" Elphaba started.

"Don't be. We all made mistakes. I shouldn't have believed Madame Morrible or the Wizard. Did you know that I am now ruling Oz?"

"You?"

"Yes, but that is a story for another day. I just had a talk with Fiyero," Glinda told her.

Elphaba stifled a groan. She was sure Glinda would give her a piece of her mind and tell her that it was irresponsible to keep Fiyero away from his daughter. But when Glinda continued talking she was in for a surprise.

"I gave him the engagement ring back."

"Why?" Elphaba gasped. She had always believed that the prince would get the fair maiden in fairytales, meaning Fiyero and Glinda would get married. But it seemed that their life was a fairytale gone bad.

"I was never meant to wear the ring. He doesn't love me, not the way he loves you," she said as she looked at Elphaba.

"I am sorry that this happened. I never wanted you to get hurt Glinda. I don't deserve him or his love. I should have never stayed here this long. Maybe it would have been better if I had died in the cell," Elphaba said, looking down at her daughter.

"You stop this nonsense right now! Don't you dare pretend that you are unworthy of love. It was me who ended the engagement and not the other way round. Fiyero would have done the noble thing and married me. Elphie, I read the letter he wrote to you, the one you have kept in Nessa's bible. You wouldn't have kept the letter if you wouldn't still love him. Don't lie to me."

"I wanted something to remember all the people I care for," she answered instead.

Sighing, Glinda sat down on the bed and looked at her friend. Both were too stubborn to realize that they were meant to be. Now it was up to Glinda to make it right and make sure that both would end up together, as it was meant to be.

"Elphie, tell me, do you love him."

Kaikoura stood nearby, looking at the two friends. She knew the answer to Glinda's question. She knew that Elphaba still loved her son.

"I can't," Elphaba said.

"It's a simple answer, yes or no."

"Glinda, don't you understand? I did things I am not proud of. I denied him any chance of getting to know his daughter. He must hate me."

"He still loves you and he forgives you what you did. I know that you had your reasons not to tell him. Elphie, he was the only one who believed in you from the beginning. Even I had believed you to be the Wicked Witch of the West. Fiyero was the one who told me that you are still our friend and that everyone believed the lies the Wizard and Morrible were making up. He was the one who planned to save you from the beginning. He knew that he risked his freedom and life in doing so. Tell me, do you need anymore proof that this man, who is now sitting outside doubting everything he has ever believed in, still loves you?"

Neither Kaikoura nor Elphaba had ever heard Glinda talk like this. Glinda believed in true love and she had promised herself to make sure that Fiyero would get the love and happiness he deserved. It would hurt to see her friends happy together but Glinda believed that her prince charming was somewhere waiting for her.

Elphaba pondered Glinda's words for a moment. There wasn't anything she could say. She knew that her angry words had hurt Fiyero deeply. Yes, she had lashed out at him in anger, but it had been when she had still believed that he was only interested in her being his mistress. She had wanted her happily-ever-after too, but never believed that she would ever get the chance and now she wasn't sure if she had lost her chance on happiness.

"Help me outside," Elphaba said suddenly as she swung her legs out of the bed. She needed to see him, to talk to him even though she didn't know what to say. She hoped that she would get the inspiration when she saw him.

Supported by Kaikoura and Glinda, she made her way outside. When she reached the front door, she let go of the arms holding her upright. She needed to do it alone.

Carefully Elphaba took her first step without help.

"Yero," she said.

Fiyero, who had been still sitting outside, turned towards the source of the voice. Elphaba was leaning against the doorframe for support, wearing a long white nightgown, barefoot, her dark hair flowing around her.

"Fae."

He stood up and walked towards her, stopping a few feet away from her. He was looking at her. Both not saying another word until both said, "I am sorry," at the same time.

Both looked at each other, and for a moment, the words spoken in anger were forgotten. Fiyero was looking at her and knew that this was the chance he had waited for. Maybe it was the only chance he would ever get in making everything right. Glinda had left him. She had been right in giving him the ring back. He still loved Elphaba and would never stop loving her. Fiyero hoped that they would still have a chance. He hoped that maybe his dreams of a future together with Elphaba and Tanith would come true.

"I don't know what I would do if I have to go through the rest of my life without you in it. You have to come back to me. You have to stay and never leave me. You have to," he said, nearly begging her.

Fiyero's eyes welled up with tears and he leaned his head down as he began to sob. All the emotions of the past weeks came rushing through Fiyero and he cried.

"Don't leave me," he whispered brokenly.

She acted on instinct. All thoughts about talking were forgotten as Elphaba gathered him in her arms. Words weren't needed anymore. She knew that she couldn't leave him. She would stay, forever.

And then, Fiyero felt a hand run through his hair softly. He looked up, disbelieving. Her eyes looked at him with warmth and love. She was smiling but she still looked quite tired. Fiyero found he could not say a word so he did the next best thing.

He kissed her and when they parted due to lack of air, she looked at him with eyes that were full of tears.

"I could never leave you. I love you my Yero."

**THE END**


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